Starting Over
by Reall-Goodchild
Summary: After a harsh break up with her long term boyfriend, Ayame moves in with her three best friends from college. Can she mend her broken heart and find love again? Chapter 12 is up!
1. Old Faces, New Places

A/N: so, here we are with a new story. I got my inspiration for this one from Vanessa Carltons newest song called White Houses. The song doesnt give away the plot, it just gave me a starting idea, which i developed in my own mind. So um you know what, im just gonna start writing it. seeing as i dont have any shoutouts to make cuz obviously no ones reviewed this cuz well this is the first chapter. so lets just get on with it shall we?  
  
Disclaimer: ok I'll do this once and only once, and it goes for all my other stories aswell. I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters from the anime/manga. I do how ever stake claim on Riku. He's my character and if you've ever read any of my other stories you'll see him in there. He only plays a minimal part in this one though.  
  
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A fiery young redhead looked up a medium sized, two-story, white house. This was the place she would be calling home for, probably, the next couple of years or so. She let out a long sigh. Her life had changed so much in such a short time. A mere month ago she was living happily with a man she loved and would have spent the rest of her life with, if only he had felt the same, and now... now she was moving in with her three best friends whom she had sadly grown apart from over the last year.  
  
Ayame had gone to college with Kagome, Sango and Rin, and they had become almost inseparable in those four years they had spent together. Then they graduated, but remained friends. Ayame had met Riku in their last year; they hit it off right away. Only 6 months after graduating she and Riku had bought an apartment in the city together. A year had slowly passed and she began to lose contact with the three girls she loved like sisters. Then 'it' happened. Ayame caught Riku cheating on her with one of the girls from his work. Now she was here, standing outside this little house in a quaint subdivision of a small city, hold a box of small item of sentimental value.  
  
Ayame's long auburn pigtails swayed in the wind as she walked up to the door and rang the doorbell twice. She could hear the sound of footsteps rushing towards her and finally the door flew open to reveal a petite young woman with brown hair and warm chocolate eyes. Ayame could recognise Rin any day.  
  
Rin's face brightened when she saw her old friend standing before her. "Ayame!" She cried, her eyes twinkling with joy. The brunette pulled Ayame into a tight bear hug, mindful of the box between them.  
  
Ayame smiled, it was good to see her friend again. It had been a few months. They only talked to each other through instant messaging or on the telephone, but seeing her now made her happy, bringing back the memories of college, of the good ol' days before Riku had come into her life. "It's good to see you Rin!" She said as cheerfully as she could. "How have you been?"  
  
"Just fine, especially now your here!" Rin chirped, releasing her friend and taking the box she held. "Come on in, I'll show you to your room." Rin turned around and walked into the house. Ayame followed Rin as she began to climb the stairs that were right next to the entrance beside a door that lead into what looked like an office/computer room. "Kagome, Sango! Ayame's here!" Rin called out to the remaining occupants of the house.  
  
Two sets of footsteps could be heard; one set from upstairs another from downstairs. "Ayame!" both Sango and Kagome screamed excitedly. Sango was at the bottom of the stairs Kagome at the top. It almost looked as though they were trying to cut off any means of escape for the two on the stairs.  
  
Ayame smile cheerfully. "Hey guys," She laughed as the pair ran towards her, Kagome nearly knocking Rin over, and hugging her tightly.  
  
"It's been too long!" Kagome said into Ayame's right ear.  
  
"Far to long!" Sango added in Ayame's left.  
  
"I know, I know." Ayame said hugging both her friends. "It feels good to be together again, eh?"  
  
"For sure!" All three girls replied.  
  
The girls got everything out of Ayame's car and up to her room and slowly began to unpack and decorate. They laughed remember old times and old jokes but they completely avoided the topic of Riku. No one wanted to ruin this joyous time together by bringing up old scars and new wounds.  
  
The sun was beginning to set when they finally finished. The four friends made their way down stair for a wonderful supper that Sango had prepared for them. It amazed Ayame how little had changed. Rin was still the bright, yet naive one of the group with a sunny smile. Sango was still the tough girl who wasn't afraid to voice her opinion on anything but knew when to play it cool and when to take a stand. Kagome was still the happy yet quick to temper girl that Ayame remembered. As she looked around at her friends she couldn't help but wonder if she had changed. If her broken relationship with Riku had altered her without her knowing it. Her friends must have noticed her halfhearted look because Rin asked, "Something on your mind?"  
  
"No, not really. Just thinking, that's all." Ayame said eating a mouthful of her Mac and Cheese.  
  
"About what?" Sango inquired, her hazel eyes looking rather concerned.  
  
"Oh, about how you guys haven't changed one bit since college." Ayame mused with a wide smile.  
  
"Come on, of course we have!" Kagome said confidently. "We... er... I... uh...Sango... um... Rin?" Kagome racked her brain for some way she or her housemates had changed in the last year and a half. "Ok so we haven't but you haven't either!"  
  
"Haven't I?" Ayame asked uncertainly.  
  
"Of course not Ayame!" Sango exclaimed. "Sure, you've been a bit quiet since you arrived and sure, your depressed right now but you just come out of a serious relationship, no one expects you to be normal right away. Your hurt, Ayame, but we understand. You'll get over it in time."  
  
"And we'll be right here, with you as you heal!" Rin added with her bright, sunny smile.  
  
Ayame looked at her friends with a smile that said exactly how she felt. "Thank you, you guys have no idea how much it means to me that no matter what, I'll always have you guys to lean on." Ayame said her eyes watering with joy. "You really are the best friends a girl could have, you know."  
  
Kagome reach over and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "And don't you forget it!" She laughed.  
  
Ayame laughed at her friends' cockiness. She really was lucky to have friends like them.  
  
After dinner Ayame decided she should go to bed. Though she would have loved to stay up and hang around with her bestest friends, she was tired. The day seemed to have taken a lot out of her. She went into her new room and closed the door behind her. She quickly changed into her pink pyjamas and slipped into her bed. It was awfully comfortable. She could have fallen asleep in an instant; if it weren't for the fact her gut was twisting with grief. She just couldn't let go of her love for Riku. No matter how hard she tried not to, all she could think about was how she was sleeping alone, in a new house, a few hours out of the city, while the man she loved was back in her old apartment, probably getting it on with some bimbo. She closed her eyes and rolled onto her side. A silent tear crept down her cheek as she ever so slowly fell into a light  
  
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A/N: I know it was short but the next one will be much longer, I promise. Well I'm pretty sure it will be. This one was just a bit of an intro, to give a bit of backstory for everyone.  
  
And of course, the much despised, Riku is back! muahahahahaha! Don't worry he doesn't have a really active roll in this story, he's mainly just there in memories.  
  
Ok so I know what's probably going through most of your heads right now... 'Oh no, she's going to give up on Falling for the Guy in Room 1346 like she did School Days.' but I promise you that will not happen. I just had to get this first chapter out of my head before it exploded from all the plot bunnies and i forgot about this one, that i really liked. The next chapter of this won't be out until the weekend... or at least not until i've posted the next chapter of Falling. So don't panic. i'll probably do and alternating update system thing. you know, i'll update one then the next, then the first one again and then the second one again. you get? good.  
  
ok so I'm going to stop blabbering to you all cuz i gotta post this cuz i have to go to bed cuz i have school in the morning and its already 12:45 at night so... yeah. PLEASE REVIEW! i live off reviews! they're like cocane to me, im addicted! toodles! 


	2. Meet the Neighbours

A/N: GASP! What is this! I updated! What's it been... 3 months almost. Sorry about that. I had writers block for this story but that is solved now. I wrote out a plan for this a week or two back. There will be 15 chapter, the pairings will be Rin/Sess, San/Mir, Kag/Inu, and of course the main pairing will be Kou/Aya! Yay? 

and for the love of pete! do i suck or what? i was rereading the previous chapter and how the last word is cut out. i dunno how on earth that happed but it should say 'A silent tear crept down her cheek as she ever so slowly fell into a light slumber.'

Shout outs!

Spirit Demon: funnily enough, I actually got sick like a week after I posted chapter 1.... conspiracy?? I think so.

Elf of the Forest: I sure hope i can.

Wolfgrl1880: Ayame is one of my favourite characters too. And I'm gonna try to make the chapters longer, but i cant garentee that they all will be.

KagomeHigurashi66: thanks!

phantomoftheflame: Let's hope this one turns out just as good, if not better than Falling... well thats setting the standard a little high (sweats nervously) lol!  
On with the story!

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"Ayame!" A way to cheerful for Sunday morning, Rin yelled, jumping onto Ayame's bed.

Ayame groaned and rolled onto her back. She opened one eye and looked up at her friend. Rin was wearing a red and orange bikini. Ayame shot her a quizzical look. "Going swimming?" She asked, though the answer was pretty obvious.

Rin nodded with a cheerful grin. "The water's really warm today, almost 90! Come on, put on your bathing suit. Kagome and Sango area already out there!" Rin said pulling the covers off of the redhead.

Ayame sat up and looked at the clock. 'Wow, it's 11:30 already..." She thought, 'I can't believe i slept so long.' Ayame stood up and stretched out. She slowly made her way over to her dresser and pulled out her favourite bathing suit. It was a black tank top with lime green trim that stopped just short of her belly button and some low riding black short shorts that looked like normal workout shorts with a lime green drawstring. She made her way to the upstairs bathroom and changed into her bathing suit and brushed her hair and teeth. Once changed she went back into her bedroom, where Rin was patiently waiting for her.

"Ooo, Ayame! I love that suit!" Rin complimented, sitting on the bed.

Ayame walked over to a small laundry basket she had by the window. "Hey Rin, do you have any towels I could use?"

"Yeah, there's a whole bunch downstairs in the laundry room." Rin said getting off the bed and stretching.

Ayame nodded as she dropped her clothes in the bin. She glanced outside for a minute, doing a double take. Outside were, not only Kagome and Sango, but three guys as well. All three of them were tall and muscular. One had long black hair tied into a high ponytail. He was wearing a plain white muscle shirt and brown shorts. He had his back to her so she couldn't see his face. He appeared to be having a disagreement of some sort with the guy in front of him. This one had long silver hair and amber eyes. He was wearing a tight read t-shirt and red jogging pants. She guess this guy really liked red. He looked pretty pissed off. The third guy was standing next to Sango, who was watching him out of the corner of her eye. He had short-ish black hair that was pulled into a puny rat-tail at the base of his skull and dark blue eyes. He wore a sleeveless purple-ish shirt with a hood and navy shorts.

The scene before her was actually quite amusing. The first two guys were obviously arguing, over what, Ayame didn't know, but the silver haired one looked like his head was about to explode. Kagome looked like she was trying to reason with them, but to no avail, while Sango and this other guy simply watched with mild amusement. She wondered why Sango was eyeing the shorthaired one wearily but figured, whatever it was, she didn't want to know. "Hey Rin...?" She started.

"Yes?" Rin said in a singsong voice as she walked towards her friend.

"Who are they?" Ayame asked, pointing at the group of people standing near the pool.

Rin looked out the window. "Oh, them? They're our neighbours." She said with a small giggle. "The one standing next to Sango is Miroku, he's kind of perverted. The one with the silver hair is Inuyasha, or Inu as we like to call him. The last one is Kouga."

Ayame nodded. Slowly, a very evil smile spread across her lips. "Hey, do you guys have any water balloons?" She asked.

Rin's eyes brightened significantly. She and Ayame had always been the pranksters of the group. Well, usually Ayame came up with evil schemes and Rin just went along with them, both of them usually ending up in trouble. "Why yes, I believe we do." Ayame and Rin looked at each other with identical evil grins. Rin casually left the room, heading downstairs to the kitchen where they kept the water balloons, followed closely by Ayame. Rin pulled out three water balloons, one for each of the guys and filled them.

**::::::::::::::: Outside :::::::::::::::::::**

"She's not your woman, you mangy wolf!" Inuyasha yelled his fists clenched.

"What, did you claim her?" Kouga snarled back, leaning forward.

"No!" Inuyasha growled as Kagome blushed. "But she ain't yours!"

The two boys were nearly nose-to-nose, teeth clenched, in a heated stare down.

Suddenly, Inuyasha felt something hit him rather hard and was soaked from head to toe. He sputtered for a second, looking around for what had got him. "The hell?" He asked no one in particular. He spun around hearing laughter.

Sango and Kagome were leaning on each other, trying to stifle their laugher, but failing miserably, while Kouga and Miroku were making no attempts to stop themselves. Inuyasha growled at them his eyes darkening.

**Splash**

Miroku blinked, now standing there sopping wet. The girls doubled over laughing, having to sit on some lawn chairs to stop them from falling over. Inuyasha began to laugh at the confused dark hair man and Kouga had his hands on his knees trying to support himself as he laughed.

**Splash**

Kouga stood there, absolutely stunned. He was now, like the other two men, soaked from head to toe.

Kagome fell out of her chair and was now rolling on the ground laughing, while Sango had her head on the table and banging it with her fist.

Inuyasha laughed the loudest out of all of them. "Serves you right, mangy wolf!" He yelled.

**::::::::::::::: Inside :::::::::::::::::::**

The two girls were trying desperately not to burst out laughing at the scene before them. They high fived each other for a job well done.

"That was awesome!" Ayame said, wiping tears of laughter out of her eyes.

"So good," Rin chorused. "Did you see the look on their faces?"

"Absolutely precious!" Ayame cried, leaning on the wall for support. Ayame was o busy laughing at the chaos she had caused to notice Rin's evil smirk. It wasn't until she saw the super soaker that she straightened up.

Rin gave a small evil laugh as she shot the water gun at Ayame.

Ayame let out a loud scream of surprise as the cold water hit her. "RIN! STOP! RIIIIN!" She screeched as she ran out of the room trying to get away from her friends assault.

**::::::::::::::: Outside :::::::::::::::::::**

Everyone jumped when they heard Ayame's scream.

"What was that?" Miroku asked looking up at the house in alarm.

"No clue," Sango said glancing at Kagome who shrugged.

"Do you think we should go check on them?" Kagome asked Sango.

"Them?" Inuyasha said giving Kagome a confused look.

Kagome was about to explain when the back screen door opened and a very wet Ayame rushed out followed by Rin who was still shooting at the redheaded girl. The guy all looked confusedly at Ayame.

"RIN! STOP IT!" Ayame yelled. She saw the hose and decided to take the chance. She rushed over and cranked it on. She swiftly turned around and pressed down on the nozzle, the stream of water hitting Rin head on.

"KYAAAA!" Rin squealed, putting her hands out in front of her to try and block the water. "TRUCE! TRUCE!" She called.

Ayame gave a satisfied smirk and turned off the hose. The girls approached each other and shook on the truce before bursting out into a giggle fit.

Inuyasha cleared his throat loudly to get the two girls attention. The two girls froze, looking at the three very wet boys and their housemates. A long awkward silence ensued.

"Guys, this is Ayame," Kagome said, breaking the silence. "Ayame, these are our neighbours Kouga, Inuyasha and Miroku."

Miroku walked up to Ayame with a friendly smile. "It's lovely meeting you miss Ayame." He said. "May I ask you something?"

"Uh..." She looked at Rin and back at him. "Sure."

"Would you consider bearing my child?" He asked.

Ayame's eyes went the size of saucepans. "What?" She cried in a strangled voice. Everyone around sweat dropped. Ayame's wide eyes turned into small slits as she fell a foreign presence on her butt. "YOU PERVERT!!!!" She screeched smacking him across his left cheek, backing away.

Everyone sweat dropped yet again as Miroku gave his best innocent look. Sango walked past giving him a quick smack upside the head. "Stupid letch." she muttered under her breath. She turned to the rather startled redhead. "It's ok Ayame, he asks every woman he meets that." She reassured her friend.

"Well that's... creepy" Ayame stated, eyeing the pervert suspiciously. Suddenly she was pushed. She wobbled for a second grabbing onto the person who had pushed her as she fell into the pool.

The two women came back up for air sputtering while the others laughed at their antics.

"What was that for," Ayame yelled looking over at the other person in the pool.

"Couldn't resist." Rin said giving an innocent smile.

Ayame narrowed her eyes. "Is that so?" She asked in a tone that promised pain.

"Eep!" Rin said swimming away.

"Oh no you don't!" Ayame yelled, giving chase.

Kagome and Sango sweatdropped.

"Are they always like that?" Miroku asked.

"Sadly...yes." Sango stated, turning red. "PERVERT!" She screamed smacking the hentai behind her.

"Well, it's good to see Ayame back to her old self." Kagome muttered quietly. She looked up at Kouga and Inuyasha who were nose to nose growling at each other. What they were arguing about this time, no one knows.

**::::::::::::::::::: In the pool :::::::::::::::::::::**

"What's up with those two?" Ayame asked Rin, jabbing her thumb towards Kouga and Inuyasha.

"Oh them. They just like to argue. They're a lot alike really, that probably why." Rin explained. "It all started because Kouga claimed Kagome as 'his woman' and Inuyasha has a thing for Kags, though he'll never admit it."

"And the letch?" Ayame asked looking over as Miroku tried to explain himself to an obviously not convinced Sango.

"He's a perv who took a liking to Sango and her butt." Rin giggled.

"I see." Ayame said, stifling her own laughter.

"Oh and Inuyasha's older brother lives next door as well. He's rather anti-social though." Rin said blushing slightly at his name. "He and Inuyasha don't get along very well either. Sibling rivalry, you know? It's too bad really..."

"So you like him eh?" Ayame stated knowingly.

"YES!" Rin exclaimed, blushing a little. "And everyone knows it except for him!"

Ayame patted Rin on the back. "He'll figure it out eventually." She said with a warm smile. "In the meantime..." She hoisted herself over the side of the pool. "Cartoons."

Rin's eyes lit up and she jumped out of the pool. The two of them grabbed their towels and went back in the house.

Seeing the two girls go back in the house Kagome turned to the guys. "So, what do you guys think of Ayame?" She asked hopefully.

"Keh," Was Inuyasha's only response.

Kouga shrugged. "She seems alright."

Everyone looked at Miroku. "She has a nice butt... But no where near as nice as my dear Sango's" He said groping said woman.

**Slap**

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A/N: Miroku, such a perv. Aaaaany who. I apologise A) For the loooooooooooong wait for this chapter, chapter 3 will be out in a bit, before christmas definately. and B) for any gamatical and spelling errors. My word processor sucks monkey bum and unfortunately, so do I when it comes to those things.

If you want to know what's happening with all of my stories and how far along I am with updating and what not, I suggest you check out my bio. I have that info there along with info on upcoming stories. I usually update that every couple of days, depending on what I get done. so yeah. Check it out, along with a few of my other stories... I'll stop pimping now.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I hope it was worth the wait.

Next chapter: The Day We Met


	3. The Day We Met

A/N: That's right, yup! I updated yet again! I'm getting good! Actually this chapter has been pretty much half written for the last like 2 months, I just needed to finish it. Hope you liked it. 

Oh and you know how I said Riku wasn't going to play a big role in this story? I lied. While coming up with the outline, he sorta came up.... quite a bit. Don't worry, there will be plenty of time for you to Riku bash.

Thanks to phantomoftheflame for the review. I hope you like this chapter to!

On with the story!

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Ayame woke up late for the second day in a row. It was about 11 am when she got out of bed and got dress and ready for the day. The house was completely silent; no sounds of sleep, no noise from the television, no talking, no nothing. A little concerned Ayame went down stairs to check for signs of life. She found none, but she did find a not that read:

_Ayame,_

_Kagome and I went shopping and Sango got called into work. We didn't want to wake you up. We should be back before 2._

_Rin_

Ayame sighed as she looked at the paper. Though she was glad that her friends hadn't woken her up from the best sleep she had gotten in a week or so now, she didn't really want to be alone. When she was alone she though about him, and that was the last thing she needed right now. She knew that if she could just stop thinking about him for long enough, she would soon be able to forget about him and what he did and move on with her life. But being alone in the house was not going to help keep her mind off the subject.

There was a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning outside as suddenly it began to rain heavily. She looked out the glass sliding doors that led out back and sighed sadly. She hated the rain. She use to love it because it use to bring back happy memories, but that changed.

**Flashback**

"Damnit!!" A 22-year-old Ayame screamed as she ran through the campus of her community college. She had been reading in the quad (as the students called it) when it had suddenly begun to pour. It had been such a nice day out only a few moments ago, but the sky had just grown black so quickly that Ayame barely had time to notice.

She turned the corner, heading for her dorm room, when she collided with a young man her age, both of them falling to ground on impact. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going!" Ayame said pushing herself off the ground into a standing position. She turned and faced the now standing man and nearly died. He had short, spiky, black hair and misty grey eyes. He was tall, definitely over 6 feet, wearing black torn jeans and a black and grey sweater with a black trench coat over top. He also had a black umbrella out and was holding it over himself, smiling down at her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, stepping closer so that the umbrella covered them both.

"Uh... yeah. Yeah I'm fine," She said airily, looking into his stony orbs. To say the least she was attracted to the man. Not only was he stunningly good looking, but he also seemed very sweet.

"I'm Riku," He said holdin out the hand that wasn't holding the umbrella.

"Ayame," She said with a charming smile, shaking his hand.

"Gods, you must be freezing," He said looking at her attire. She hadn't exactly dressed for the whether. She was only wearing a light long sleeved purple shirt and some regular blue jeans. The fact that she was now soaked from head to toe didn't help matters either. She shivered slightly as a cool breeze blew past them. He smirked. "Hey, why don't you come back to my dorm room? I have a hotplate, I'll make you some hot chocolate."

Ayame looked up at him greatfully and nodded. The two headed in the direction he had been going, which she guessed was the way to his dorm room.

**End Flashback**

Ayame blinked away the few tears that had welled up in her eyes as she remembered the first time she had met Riku. She took a deep breath and but couldn't rid herself of the memory. She turned heading back up the stairs and getting dressed. She left on her pyjama pants, but put on hoodie. It was rather chilly out that day. Once dressed, she grabbed the book she was currently reading. Some new romance novel Rin had lent her the day before. She had read one of these types of stories in months; she hoped it would be refreshing.

She headed back down the stairs and went into the kitchen. She filled the kettle with water and plugged it in waiting for it to boil. She then sat down at the round dinner table and opened her book. She began reading and was instantly sucked into the book. Rin obviously knew her taste. The whistle of the kettle brought her back down to reality only to be pulled off in another not so happy memory.

**Flashback**

The kettle whistled loudly as she and Riku sat at the small table in his dorm room. They had been conversing merrily, waiting for the water to boil for their hot chocolates. She had learned quite a bit about this mystery man in the short time they had known each other. He was from a small town a good 6 hours from Tokyo. He had grown up on a farm, which explained his muscular form and was here studying for a degree in architecture. He was the same age as Ayame, entering his final year at the college. He was smart, handsome and very kind. Ayame could not deny the fact that she was not only intrigued by the man, but very much attracted to him as well.

He got up, unplugging the kettle and poured the steaming hot water into the cups that were already set out with the powder in them. He picked up the two cups and set them down on the table, one in front of her and the other by the spot he had been sitting. He then walked over to the small refrigerator and opened it. "Would you like any milk or cream?" He asked politely.

"Just milk thanks." She answered, flashing him a heart-stopping smile.

He nodded and took out the container of milk and set it down on the table before taking his seat. She took the milk and poured some of it into her drink, cooling it slightly, before setting it back on the table between them. He did the same. "So Ayame, may I ask what you were doing outside in such horrible weather?"

"Well, I was reading in the quad while it was sunny and warm out," She said coolly. "But it started to rain out and I was heading back to my dorm room when you bumped into me."

"Oh I bumped into you did I?" He asked coyly.

"Ok I ran into you." She giggled, nodding her head.

"That's more like it." He joked, sipping his hot chocolate and savouring the taste. "Well, you're welcome to stay until it clears up."

Ayame smile at the prospect of being able to stick around and getting to know this charming young man better, but she knew that if she stayed much longer, Rin would start to get worried and would call Sango and Kagome and then all hell would break loose. She looked down and shook her head. "I can't." She said softly, hiding her disappointment.

"Oh?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"My room mate, Rin. She'll get worried if I'm not home soon." Ayame explained gulping down the last of her drink. "And that would start a whole bunch of other things and ... let's just say things would get messy." She stood up and headed slowly towards the door, Riku following her.

"Well, if you insist on leaving so soon," He started, taking his coat off the coat rack and putting it on. "Than I insist on walking you back to your room."

"Well," She smiled, hooking arms with the man. "If you truly insist."

**End Flashback**

She shot up out of her chair, realizing the water had been boiling for a while now. She unplugged the kettle and slowly poured herself a drink. There was a knock on the back door. Ayame jumped, spilling the scalding water on the counter. She looked at the glass doors to see the tall man with long black hair from the day before standing there. Kouga was his name, if she remembered correctly.

She set the kettle down on the counter and walked over to the door, opening it so the man could come in. "Uh... hi..." She said slowly as he entered the house. She closed the door and stood there staring at him as he took of his coat and hung it over a chair before sitting down and making himself comfortable. "Can I help you with something?" She asked, not sure what to do. This was on of Kagome, Sango and Rin's friends; she didn't know him at all.

The man shrugged and glanced over at the kettle. "A cup of hot chocolate would be nice." He said, showing no sign of shyness or being uncomfortable with the situation.

Ayame blinked, finding the man rather rude for barging in and then asking for a drink. She shook her head, reminding herself that he was a guest and a friend of her friends and therefore she should be nice. "Sure thing," She said curtly, heading back to the counter and refilling the kettle. "I'll have to boil some more water though. I spilt most of hit when you scared me."

The man snorted in amusement, watching the redheaded woman plug in the kettle than start to clean up the mess she had made. "Your name's Ayame right?" He asked.

She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "I'm sorry, what?" She said.

"Your name is Ayame, am I correct?" He repeated himself more clearly.

"Yes, Kouga right?" She asked.

He nodded. "The one and only." Ayame laughed.

Soon the whistle of the kettle sounded yet again and she poured another glass for the man. She set the two cups on the table and went to the fridge and pulled out the milk. She poured some into her cup and offered it to Kouga. "Milk?" She asked holding it out for him.

"No thanks." He said, taking a huge gulp then cringing at the pain.

Ayame shook her head, putting the milk back into the refrigerator. "So, Kouga, what brings you to our back door?" she asked, slowly getting use to the mans company.

"I thought I'd join you guys for lunch, seeing as I'm home all alone next door." He stated, taking another sip of his painfully hot drink.

"Well, Kagome and the others aren't here at the moment." She said picking up the note Rin had written for her to read it out loud. "Rin and Kagome have gone shopping and Sango got called into work. They didn't want to wake me up and should be back before 2." She sighed placing the note down in front of her and picked up her cup of hot chocolate and took a sip.

"Well then I guess it's just you and me," He said putting down his now empty, still steaming cup.

"I guess no..." She trailed off.

An awkward silence fell between the two of them. Ayame sat there quietly sipping on her hot chocolate as she observed the man across from her, who was tapping his fingertips on the table looking around for something to start a conversation. Ayame smirked to herself shaking her head. She wouldn't deny that she found Kouga quite attractive. He was what one would call 'tall, dark, and handsome' and his blue eyes were enough to make any girl in her right mind go weak at the knees. He was also very confident, almost arrogant. Being the hopeless romantic she was, she also found the possessiveness of this guy attractive. Yes, if she hadn't just come out of a serious relationship, she could definitely see herself falling for this guy, though she would never be able to admit that. She was shy when it came to that kind of thing.

"Soooo..." He started, returning his gave to red haired woman across the table. "How do you know Kagome, Sango and Rin?" He asked, grabbing the first thought to enter his head.

"We met back in college," Ayame chuckled, remembering some of their crazy antics. "We were practically in separable."

"And where did you live before moving in here?" He asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"In Tokyo." She said simply.

"Really? Why'd you leave the city to come live in a small town like this?" He asked, sounding as if he thought she were crazy for doing such a thing.

"Uh..." She said, more than a little bit uncomfortable with this question. "I'd rather not talk about it," She said shaking her head.

"Come on, it can't be that bad." He urged.

Ayame's breath caught in her throat as she remembered the day a week ago...

**Flashback**

She walked down the hallway towards Riku's office, saying hello to a few men she knew. She reached the door labelled R. Komodo and opened it, stepping into the office. Her heart stopped at the sight before her. Riku was sitting at his desk, a woman on his lap, topless, kissing him passionately. Her eyes filled with tears seeing that the man she loved was doing nothing to push the woman away; in fact he was holding her tightly against him.

Furry gripped her as she slammed the door, no doubt startling the two lovers inside. She stormed down the hallway, tears falling uncontrollably down her cheeks, pushing people out of the way as she made her way to the stairwell.

**End Flashback**

Kouga was startled when he noticed a tear fall down her cheek. The woman closed her eyes, biting back more tears only to cause more to fall.

"No, no, no..." He said waving his hands in front of him. He hated when women cried. "You don't have to tell me, please don't cry."

"Sorry," She said, wiping the few tears that had escaped her. "It's just... personal that all." She added regaining some composure.

"No problem," He said waving it off. "I understand. There are things in my past that I wouldn't want to talk about either."

Ayame chuckled lightly, glad he wasn't make a huge deal out of this. "So... would you like something to eat?" She asked getting up and walking to the cupboards. "Anything you want, I can make."

"Uh..." He thought for a minute.

The front door suddenly opened Kagome and Rin walked in, giggling like mad.

"Hey Ayame." Rin said walking through the kitchen and into the living room to put her bags down.

"Hi guys," Ayame said smiling as Kagome walked into the kitchen.

"Kouga!" Kagome said, looking at the man in surprise. "What are you doing here?" She asked, looking back and forth between Kouga and Ayame a sly smile inching onto her lips.

"I just thought I'd join Ayame for lunch seeing as we were both home alone." He shrugged before standing up. "But, I'd better be going. See if mutt-face is back yet with the food. It was nice talking to ya, Ayame. See you guys." With that he went out the back door, leaving Kagome and Ayame in the kitchen alone.

Ayame took one look at Kagome and knew exactly what was coming.

"So... What did you and Kouga 'talk' about?" Kagome giggled.

"Nothing," Ayame said shaking her head. "Just idle chatter."

"Oh come on." Rin said walking in, a huge smile on her face. "Kouga's a good looking guy. You can't honestly expect us to believe that 'nothing happened'!"

Ayame sighed and walked past her friends, heading for the stairs. "You two are such girls," she said rolling her eyes and heading up the stairs. " I just came out of a serious relationship. What do you take me for?"

Rin and Kagome exchanged knowing looks. They could tell that at some level, Ayame was attracted to Kouga.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Aw, Kouga and Ayame had some time to get to know one another. I hope you liked this chapter. It was to give a bit of back story and get Kouga to talk to Ayame! Do I know how to kill to birds with one stone or what? lol! R&R please!!!

Next chapter: **A Day at the Mall with an Unwanted Intruder**


	4. A Day at the Mall with an Unwated Inrtud...

AN: Hey everyone! I'm sorry about the wait on this but after I posted the last two I broke my computer and it had to go get reformatted. Don't worry, the wonderful computer guy was able to save all my stories and timelines so they are safe. 

HO!HO!HO! Merry Christmas to all, and for those who don't celebrate christmas, happy what ever it is you celebrate (I'm not up with all the religions out there, please forgive me). I thought it would be a nice present to all if I did a major update (as in updating 2 stories and posting a oneshot).

Review Responses.

Spirit Demon: You weren't late reviewing... I mean I only posted the day before... And love you too! hope you enjoy this, merry christmas!

phantomoftheflame: yesh, Kouga very sexy. lol! hope you like this chapter!

Wolfgrl1880: I hope this is soon enough for you and I hope you like this one aswell!

On Wards!

* * *

The week past rather slowly for Ayame. Sango, Kagome and Rin were at work all week and the guys never stopped by so she figured they were at work too. To occupy her time she ended up cleaning the house, which was a job all it's own. The girls hadn't appeared to have cleaned in a looooooooong time. She also baked.... a lot. Muffins and cookies and the odd cake were made everyday, the delicious smell greeted the girls after each long day at work. Ayame felt like a grandmother.

Finally Saturday rolled around, a day to relax and have fun with the gals. Ayame awoke at 9 am and slowly made her way downstairs for breakfast.

"Morning Rin," She called to her friend who was sitting on the couch with a bowl of coco puffs watching Saturday morning cartoons still in her Scooby Do pyjamas. She got a muffled 'morning' in response. Ayame chuckled to her herself and continued on her way to the kitchen.

"Hey, Aya." Sango greeted, looking up from the morning paper. Sango was fully dressed in regular blue jeans and a pink tank top. She was sitting at the round table, sipping on some hazelnut instant coffee.

"Morning," Ayame said cheerily as she grabbed the box of Cherrio's out of the cupboard along with a bowl and a spoon. "Anything interesting on the agenda today?" She asked as she poured herself a bowl of the cereal.

"Yeah, we're going to go shopping at that new mall in Tokyo." Sango smiled. "We're throwing a party for Sesshomaru."

"Why?" Ayame asked putting away the box and getting the milk out of the refrigerator.

"It's his birthday tomorrow," Sango explained. "So Rin decided that we should throw him a surprise party."

"Of course," Ayame giggled, sitting down at the table.

"Yeah, he's going to hate us, that's for sure." Sango laughed, turning back to the newspaper and sipping her coffee.

"Morning everyone," Kagome yawned as she entered the kitchen and sat down next to Ayame. She still looked half-asleep. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were drooping. She was dressed in some jeans and a T-shirt that said 'Dreamer'.

Ayame looked down at her white tank top and plaid flannel pants. "Well, if we're going shopping, I need to get dressed." She said, inhaling her food.

She quickly ran up the stair to her room and got dressed. She gave herself one last look in the mirror when Rin called her, telling her to hurry up. She had decided to put on light purple sleeveless top with some old khakis. Deciding she looked fine she pulled her hair up into two ponytails, on either side of her head. With that done she grabbed her purse and ran down the stairs.

* * *

"Woah..." Kagome marvelled as she looked up at the mall.

"This place is huge!" Rin exclaimed, Sango nodded, gulping loudly.

"I hope we will be able to find everything alright." Sango said.

Ayame, who had been to this mall several times already having lived in Tokyo until recently, laughed at her friends. "Don't worry Sango. This mall has everything." She assured them. "And they have maps all over the place so believe me, you'll find everything just fine..."

The girls seemed to relax and they went to the mall. "Ok so I guess we should start with the cake..." Sango stated looking at the map of the gigantic mall, her finger scrolling down the lists of stores and their locations.

"What store do you think we should look in first?" Rin asked looking over Sango's shoulder, along with Kagome and Ayame.

Suddenly Sango's eyes bulged, her face turning a bright rouge. "HENTAI!" She screamed as she turned around smacking all oh to familiar person behind her.

The girls look from Miroku to Sango then to the two men behind the pervert. "What are you guys doing here?" Kagome asked as Miroku got to his feet.

"The letch decided we should come check out this mall..." Inuyasha explained, sounding less than thrilled, his eyes closed in annoyance.

"Let me guess," Sango started, a vein popping out of her forehead. "To hook up with some city chicks."

Miroku laughed nervously shrugging innocently. Sango's fists balled up tightly at her sides, but luckily for the letch, Rin intervened before the furious female could do anything rash. "Well, since you guys are here, you can help us party shop!" She chirped happily.

"Party Shop?" Inuyasha asked. "Party for what?"

"Your dear brother, of course." Rin answered simply. She didn't wait for a response. "Ok, Kags and Inu can go shopping for party favours!" She handed Kagome a credit card and pushed the two of them in one direction. "Kouga, you can go with Ayame and pick out a cake!" She handed yet another card to Ayame and pushed them off in the opposite direction of the previous two. "That leaves us for other groceries!" She said, taking both Miroku and Sango by the hand and dragging them in the direction of the large grocery store.

* * *

"So..." Ayame said as they stood in front of the fastest cake shop they could find. "Which one do you want to get?"

"I dunno," Kouga shrugged. "What one do you want?"

"Hey, I've never even met Sesshomaru," Ayame stated. "You live with the guy, you decide."

"Fine," Kouga grumbled. He looked over the cakes one last time. Seeing none that he liked he tapped the bell on the counter, getting the attention of one of the young workers.

"How may I help you?" The blonde teenaged girl asked.

"How long does it take for you to make a picture cake?" He asked.

"Half an hour," She said with an obviously forced smile.

"Alright, can I get one with..." He pulled out an old picture out of his wallet. "This picture on it... enlarged." He grinned evilly.

"Alright," The teen said taking the picture and writing down the order. "Chocolate or Vanilla?"

"Vanilla," Ayame said.

"And would you like it to say anything?" The teen asked Kouga.

"Happy Birthday Fluffy." He smirked. Ayame shot him a quizzical look.

"Alright, it'll be ready in half an hour." The teen said, waving goodbye.

Kouga turned to Ayame. "Alright, we have half an hour... What do you want to do?"

"Uh.... Ice Cream?" Ayame suggested, eyeing the ice cream parlour across the way.

"After you," Kouga said motioning for her to go ahead of him.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Ayame said, trying not to laugh but failing desperately. "Rin is the one who gave him the nickname Fluffy, because the first time she met him, he was wearing a fur boa... on a dare?"

"Yup," Kouga laughed, reminiscing the day the girls had moved in. "He's learned never to make a bet with Miroku again."

Ayame burst out into laughter as they sat on the bench in the middle of the halls of the mall, facing the bakery. They had been idly chatting as they ate their ice cream for the 20 minutes when Ayame had asked about the whole Fluffy thing.

"Poor guy..." Ayame laughed, "he must be scared for life..."

"Oh he is," Kouga stated. "But you'd never guess. The guys like a Vulcan, no emotions what-so-ever."

Ayame laughed again. She took a glance over at the bakery, seeing the teenager that had served them reappear, she regained her composure... somewhat. "I think our cakes done," She said pointing at the teen that was looking around for them.

"Then lets go," Kouga said as they stood up and started for the shop.

They paid for the cake using the credit card Rin had given them. And headed for the food court, where they were to the others.

"I wonder what it looks like," Ayame said slowing as she opened the box. Her eyes bulged as she looked at the teenaged pimply face of Sesshomaru.

The two burst out into laughter as they neared the food court where they were to be meeting the others. Suddenly the sound or people yelling reached their ears. They glanced at one another and picked up the pace, wanting to know the source of the commotion. They rounded the corner and Ayame stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes fixed dead ahead.

Kouga looked his shoulder as he to stopped. "What's wrong?" He asked the girl.

Ayame didn't answer him. She was frozen to the spot as she stared wide-eyed over Kouga's shoulder.

Kouga followed her gaze and cocked an eyebrow. Kagome, Rin and Sango were ganging up on some guy, yelling and shouting at him. Kouga couldn't make out what they were saying.

Inuyasha and Miroku ran over to Kouga.

"Why are they yelling at that guy?" Kouga asked the two men as they stopped next to him

"No clue," Miroku answered. "We got here and they saw him and they went ballistic."

Kouga eyed this guy. He was tall, with short spiky black hair and stone grey eyes. He didn't seem to happy with the three shouting women in front of him, which wasn't to surprising. He glanced over his shoulder at Ayame. "Hey Ayame, Do you know who that guy is?" He asked. She looked at her quizzically. She still hadn't moved and the colour was beginning to drain from her face. "Ayame are you ok?" He asked again. Inuyasha and Miroku looked at the girl as well.

"Where is she huh?" A masculine voice boomed, making Kouga, Miroku and Inuyasha turn back to the scene in front of them. The mans face was red with anger as he yelled at the girls. "Is she staying with you? Is she here right now?" The man looked around, his eyes locking with Ayames. "AYAME!" He yelled, pushing past the girls who were trying to block his way.

The three male friends turned back to the ghostly white girl who looked petrified. Slowly, Ayame began to back away shaking her head and clutching the cake, tears filling her eyes. "I'm going to go take this to the car." She squeaked, practically running for the exit.

"Ayame!" The man yelled as he neared them. "Ayame get back here!"

He was about to pass them when Kouga reached out and grabbed his arm. The man turned on Kouga, giving him a deadly look. The girls ran past, chasing after Ayame. "Let go of me," the man growled.

"Why should I?" Kouga asked, narrowing his eyes. "What do you want with her?"

"Who the hell are you to keep me away from my woman?" The man yelled.

All three guys went wide-eyed. Kouga looked at the man quizzically. "What do you mean 'your woman'?"

The man looked Kouga up and down before growling darkly. "What are you her new boyfriend or something?"

Kouga went wide-eyed and blushed. "What no! What would give you an idea like that!?" Kouga yelled.

"Listen punk," The man yelled grabbing Kouga by the collar of his shirt. "Ayame is mine. She may be upset over what she thinks she saw, she is still mine. I will find he and we will be together again got it?"

Kouga released the man and stared back at him in shock. "What the hell are you talking about?" He asked, pulling his shirt out of the infuriated mans' grip.

The man eyed Kouga for a second before turning his head in a scoff. "Get lost," He stated walking away from them.

Kouga watched the guy leave for a second before turning to look at his friend who looked as shocked and confused as him.

"What the hell was that all about?" Inuyasha asked, knowing neither of his buddies knew the answer. They all turned to look at the door where the girls had gone out and then down at the bags they had been carrying.

"I guess we should bring these to their house..." Miroku said, picking up some of the bags. The others nodded following in suit.

* * *

AN: Merry Ho!Ho! everyone. I'm sorry this wasn't up earlier, but well, my short visit to my aunts turned into a 2 hour vistit at my aunts. But anyways, I hope you enjoyed this. It's my christmas present to you all. It's pretty crappy, but it introduces a certain character to the guys....

Do you know who this shady character is? Hint: He is much despised by all who read Falling... He'll be back... in a big way later.

Ok so, that's it for now! TOODLES!!!


	5. The Pieces Fall into Place

A/N: ok, I broke down. I'm writing on the family computer though I despise to... takes a few deep breaths I can do this, I really can. In totally unrelated news, I just did this really odd half sneeze thing that when I got halfway through the sneeze I stopped and no longer had a need to sneeze... kinda creepy really, I also feel a little bit odd now... 

I'm sorry it took me a couple of weeks to put this out. I have good excuses! 1-computer still broken and now out here in the kitchen. 2-I updated on story and started another. 3- school, nuff said. 4- no sleep at the end of holidays.

Shout outs!

phantomoftheflame: GLODEN STAR FOR YOU! lol! but yeah... poor fluffly. just wait for the party next chapter... then you'll be saying poor fluffy. hehe!

XP: After much concideration I've been lead to beleive that you are Spirit Demon.... If I am wrong... sorry and oh boy do I feel like an ass...

melody unwinding: Thanks, I thought it to be a good idea. Oh and I'll get working on that thing... soon, I promise.

kirara980: lol, I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, my winter exams are coming this week for me, so I have a bunch of projects due. I have all three of my acedemic courses right now (English, science and math) but after January 28th (the day of my last exam) I have a week off then my super duper easy semester. So I should have no problem updating then. I wish sometimes that I could go back to grade 8.... shudders nope I take that back, I definately don't want to go back there. But I didn't have exams in grade 8... they started in grade 9. In case you were wondering I'm in grade 11 right now.

Ok, so, I'm thinking that this chapter is going to be short, but next chapter will make up for it (hopefully).

ON WARD!

* * *

The guys pulled up in front of their house a little after two in the afternoon. They were all still thinking back to the incident at the mall, Kouga more so than the others. That guy, who ever he was, obviously knew Ayame from somewhere, and it was just as obvious that Ayame had no desire to see him. But why? He had said they'd be together again, did that mean that this guy had been involved with her in some way before she came to live with the girls. And what did he mean by 'what she thought she saw.' They were confused to say the least.

They grabbed the bags full of party supplies out of the trunk of Inuyasha's Toyota and headed right over to the girls' house next door. They didn't want to risk Sesshomaru seeing them. Miroku, who was carrying the least amount of bags, knocked on the front door.

Seconds later the door opened to reveal Sango, who, by the looks of it, was in a very bad mood. "Oh good, you brought all the stuff!" She said, motioning them inside.

"Well, we weren't about to leave them there." Inuyasha explained as be set down the heaviest bag.

"Whatever." She said sitting down on the couch beside Kagome and Rin. The three girls just sat there, each of them looking as though they were deep in thought. The three guys stood in front of them, staring at the girls expectantly.

Kagome glanced up noticing the look the guys were giving them. "What now?" She asked.

"Uh, I dunno. An explanation maybe." Inuyasha stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah, who was that guy?" Miroku added.

"And what did he want with Ayame?" Kouga finished.

The girls exchanged looks. Rin sighed. "That," She started. "Was Riku. Ayame's exboyfriend."

"He's the reason Ayame's staying with us now." Kagome continued for Rin. "She caught him cheating on her.

"About a two weeks ago Ayame called us. She was hysterical." Sango explained. "According to her, she went to go surprise him at work and walked in on him and some slut doing the nasty."

"Woah..." Kouga said, running a hand through his bangs.

"You said it." Miroku concurred.

"Riku and Ayame had been dating since our last year in college." Rin went on. "We, personally, never liked the guy but Ayame was head over heels, we weren't about to ruin her happiness."

"I thought they were going to get married... In fact I had heard that they were engaged." Kagome admitted.

"But thankfully, they didn't. That scum bag didn't deserve her. He treated her like trash." Sango huffed. "He would never tell her that we called. He hated us for some unknown reason. I'm just sorry she had to realise he was wrong for her in such a horrible way."

"And that's why Ayame came to live with us." Rin concluded. "Now you know."

There was a long uncomfortable silence among the group. Slowly Inuyasha sighed. "We should get going. Sesshomaru will throw a hissy fit if we're not back soon." With that, he turned to leave, Miroku and Kouga not far behind.

Kouga paused at the door and turned back to Rin, who came to see them out. "Where is Ayame anyway?" He asked.

Rin sighed sadly and looked up the stairs. "She locked herself in her room as soon as we got home." She said. "There's no reasoning with her when she's upset, so we're just letting her calm down."

Kouga nodded solemnly. He turned around, waving goodbye as he walked down the stone walkway. Rin closed the door, still looking up the stairs at Ayame's door with a concerned expression.

**XXXX In Ayame's Room XXXX**

Ayame was sitting on her bed. She heard the girls explain her story to the guys. She hugged her pillow close to her chest, her head resting on it. She was not crying. Hearing her own story being told made her realise just how stupid she had been in the past. Her friends were right. Riku had never been good for her. He really had kept her away from happiness. He cut her off from her friends and family. He cut her off from everything in the world that she loved. She hated him. Not just for cheating on her. She hated him for everything he was.

She smiled into her pillow. Somehow that realisation made her smile. Closed her eyes and began to sing a song off the top of her head silently into her pillow.

_Here I am,  
Alone again.  
But this time,  
Something's different.  
Something's different._

_My mind is clear now.  
The air seems fresh now.  
I can see that I can finally breathe._

_A little girl Just down the road She smiled at me today.  
It sparked something inside of me.  
It sparked something inside._

_Life seems worth living now.  
So I'll make it on my own somehow.  
I can see that I can finally breathe._

_Now that you're gone.  
Since I let you go.  
I can see that I can finally breathe._

* * *

AN: eheh... I told you it was gonna be short. I'm so cold! SO VERY COLD! My hands and feet are numb. oh boy.... I need heat.

So um.... yeah that song... heh... I know it's pretty crappy. I just wrote it down thursday. It was sorta sparked off this other little blurb of a song I had written in english class after a truly horrid presentation. So yeah. I know it's crappy. I just wanted to make the chapter longer.... sh... don't tell anyone. lol

Well... I guess that's it. Sorry it took me so long for such a short chappy. I've been busy with school like I said. The next chapter will be out sometime next week with any luck. wish me luck on my exams!

Next Chapter: A Party for Fluffy


	6. Party for Fluffy

A/N: Ok sorry sorry sorry SORRY! I'm getting really bad at updating I know. But For pretty much all of January I was busy doing school work because I needed to pass (and by some stroke of luck I did). And Febuary I was extremely busy, I had all of maybe 6 nights to relax and do nothing. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that I had writers block on the days I could have been writing, because to be honest I haven't. Those days when I knew I should have been writing, I was lazy or inspired for other stories. I have a bunch I have to work on and my muse won't leave me alone to finish the ones I've started first. I'm a busy person with motivational problems. So sue me.

Rin/Sess lovers, this chapter is for you 

I'll save the rest of what I have to say until the end and just get right to the review responses. I know you all want to read read read! hehehe

Review Responses:

kirara980: XP Yeah, we had that blizzard too... then it dropped down to -30C (which is about -20F) so yeah I was cold. Canada here, eh? It gets mighty cold in the winter. And I wish I lived in those places too...day dreams

phantomoftheflame: I hope this one makes up for last ones shortness. lol

xInfernal: to be fair, I've completed 2, dicontinued 1 and there are 4 oneshots/songfics. I would like to stop coming up with ideas for stories, but my muse unfortunately won't comply... stupid sea gull.

ONWARDS!

"It's time to PAAAAAAAAAARRRTAAAAAY!" Ayame yelled as she slid down the stair railing the next morning.

Three sets of eyes looked at the redhead in shock. Ayame was dressed and ready. Her hair up in two high pigtails, her makeup done. A nice pair of denim pants hugged her just right and her long sleeved, red, black and white, midriff shirt complimented her figure nicely. Kagome, Sango and Rin blinked at the girl who seemed to by chalk full of energy that fine Sunday morning.

"What?" Ayame asked, looking at their surprised faces.

"Oh nothing." Kagome said, putting on a cheery smile, waving it off. "Just shocked to see you so energetic this morning."

Ayame shrugged and walked into the living room, stopping next to Rin who was holding streamers. She took the roll of purple streamers out of Rin's left hand and looked up merrily. "Well, are we just gonna stand around all day or are we gonna decorate?" She asked. A loud 'Bing' sounded throughout the house. "What was that?" Ayame asked.

"Kagome's making cupcakes." Rin explained, giggling lightly. Kagome wasn't the greatest cook, she tended to make charcoal instead of food.

"I fail to see the humour in that." Kagome huffed, glaring daggers at Rin, who immediately burst into gales of laughter along with Ayame while Sango struggled to hold in her giggles. "Hey! I can cook when I want too!" Kagome yelled before sighing in defeat. "Whatever. Come on Sango." She grabbed said woman's hand and headed out into the kitchen.

"What do you need me for?" Sango asked following behind her raven-haired friend.

"To help me decorate them, duh." Kagome stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Rin and Ayame watched the two girls as they left the room. They turned to one another and nodded. "Commencing operation decorate." They said in unison.

In the kitchen...

"She's awfully cheerful this morning..." Kagome commented in a slightly hushed voice as she listed to the two in the other room laugh and joke around. "Do you think she's just putting on a tough face for us?"

Sango looked up from the slightly burnt cupcake she was icing. "You know, usually I can tell when she's struggling on the inside but... This time her mood seems genuine..." Sango replied looking towards the living room in thought. "Maybe..." She trailed off.

"Maybe what?" Kagome urged her to continue.

"Maybe seeing Riku yesterday helped her let go." Sango suggested. She looked back as Kagome, who was giving a sceptical look. "I know, it sound weird, but how else could you explain it. Ever since she moved in, she's been slightly off. But now... She's acting more like her old self, the way she acted before she met Riku. The only thing that I can think of that could have triggered the change is what happened yesterday."

"But she was so upset after." Kagome reminded her friend. "She locked herself in her room."

"Well, maybe all that time alone gave her time to reflect on everything and let it go." Sango persisted.

"Huh." Kagome said with a slight grin on her lips. "You know, I think you're right."

"I always am." Sango stated with cocky grin.

"It's sad but true." Kagome laughed.

2 hours later...

The girls sat in the living room looking at all the decorations. Everything was perfect.

"So..." Ayame started pursing her lips together. "What now?"

"No clue..." Sango answered.

Ayame glanced down at her watch. "What time is this party supposed to start?" She asked.

"Well, he doesn't get home until 4..." Rin stated. "So... 5-ish."

Ayame snorted and looked up. "It's noon right now so we have," She shrugged. "Roughly 5 hours."

"So, what do you guys want to do for 5 hours?" Kagome asked.

They all looked over at the DVD rack next to their television. More specifically, they looked at three boxed, 5-disc sets that sat on top of the rack because they were too big to fit in the rack. They each smirked.

"We'll only have time for one." Sango stated as she walked over, grabbing the green box.

"That's quite alright," Kagome said. "As long as I get my Orlando fix, I'm good."

"Oh come on Kagome," Sango rolled her eyes as she popped in the first disc and sat down with the remote. "Elijah is waaaaaay cuter. I mean, have you seen those eyes?"

"No way! Sean Astin is sooo cute and huggable!" Rin squealed.

"And married." Kagome reminded the brown hair girl.

"So, Orlando is dating that Kate girl." Rin retorted.

"Ha! Elijah's not seeing anyone." Sango smiled happily.

"Too bad he's more than likely gay..." Kagome muttered under her breath, though Sango still heard it.

"Fine then." Sango stated, turning to the redhead who had remained silent throughout the entire argument. "Ayame, who do you think is better?"

"Well, personally, I watch The Lord of the Rings for the great story line and impressive acting." Ayame commented. "But if I were forced to choose an actor as my favourite from the movie, it would have to be Sir Ian."

"But... but... he's old!" Kagome sputtered.

"Yeah, and gay. But how many old gay guys do you know who can pull off leather pants?" Ayame laughed at the looks of pure horror she received from her friends. "Just play the movie." She snatched the remote away from Sango and pressed play.

Almost 5 hours later...

Rin picked up the phone and dialled next doors number. "Hello?" Miroku's voice came.

"Hey Miroku, we're ready." She informed the man. "Put Fluffy on."

"Ok." Miroku said, stifling a laugh at the nickname. "Oi! Sesshomaru, Rin's on the phone for you." She heard Miroku yell.

"Hello?" Sesshomaru's deep voice came, sounding as stoic as always.

"Hey," Rin chirped. "Look, I was wondering if you could come over and help me with some numbers for work. I just can't seem to get them to work out." She lied, biting her lip, hoping he'd take that as an acceptable excuse.

"Of course, I'll be over in a few minutes." He said, his voice showing no emotion.

"Great!" Rin nearly yelled in joy, turning to the others and giving them the thumbs up. "See ya in a few then."

"Indeed." There was a click and the line went dead.

Rin blinked before hanging up the phone. "Someone definitely need to work on his telephone educate." She whispered to herself before giggling lightly. "Alright, the guys should be here any second," She told the others, who nodded.

There was a knock on the back door, turning the girls attention to the glass sliding door. Miroku, Inuyasha and Kouga were all standing there. Sango rushed over and let them in.

"He just left." Kouga told them.

"Alright! Places people!" Rin declared.

Everyone rushed to find hiding places in the living room. Sango and Kagome got down behind the couch, Miroku behind the arm chair, Inuyasha was hiding behind the television while Kouga and Ayame both hid in on the other side of the opening to the kitchen. Everything was silent...

A loud knock at the door interrupted the unnatural silence. Everyone held his or her breath as Rin walked to the front door. Taking a deep breath, she plastered on a smile and opened the door.

"Hey!" She said perkily letting him inside. "Thanks for coming."

Sesshomaru nodded as her looked around. It was quiet... almost too quiet. "Where are the others?" He asked looking around at the dark house suspiciously.

"Oh they're all upstairs getting ready to go out tonight." Rin laughed. "In here," She said motioning him towards the particularly dark living room.

Sesshomaru followed her without a second thought. She flicked on the lights.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone jumped out from their hiding places and yelled. Steamer and confetti flew at the tall silver haired man.

Sesshomaru glared at them all, including the laughing brunette who had, without a doubt, planned this.

"Oh come on Fluffy!" Rin laughed patting him on the shoulder. "Don't look so unhappy."

He merely glared at her, but the look wasn't as hard as it was when he focussed on the others.

1 and 1/2 hours later...

"Come on Fluffy!" Rin pleaded, holding a red sparkly party hat with feathers at the top and around the bottom. "Just put on the hat." Her lower lip stuck out in a pout.

"No." He stated. "And stop calling me that."

"Put on the hat." Rin tugged on his sleeve.

"No."

"Put on the damn hat." Rin said sternly, her expression telling him to obey or there would be pain.

Sesshomaru looked at her for a minute. "Fine." He said, grabbing the hat from her hand and putting it on, pouting in the most stoic way possible.

Suddenly the lights lowered. "Oh no..." Sesshomaru looked back over his shoulder, fearing that he was right.

Rin jumped up happily. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear FLUFFY! Happy birthday to you!" The group chorused. Kagome placed the cake down in front of the frowning man.

Sesshomaru looked at the cake, nearly choking at the sight of his pimply teenage face looking back up at him. "Where did you get this picture?" He asked glaring at the cake.

Kouga looked around innocently, Ayame giggling lightly behind him.

"That doesn't matter!" Rin stated cheerfully. "Just blow out the candles!"

Sess looked up at the group who watched him expectantly before looking back down at the cake. Growling lightly, he blew out the candles.

Rin clapped and happily. "It was a fire hazard," Sess stated moodily.

"Sure it was..." Inuyasha sniggered, knowing his brother was only going through all this for the hyper brunette who had planned this party.

A few hours later...

Things were winding down. Inuyasha and Kagome were in the kitchen bickering of something or other, who knows what exactly. Sango was cleaning up with Kouga and Miroku, avoiding being groped at the same time. Rin was in the backyard with Sesshomaru, the two of them talking and enjoying the perfect whether. Ayame seeing that there was nothing left for her to do decided to head up stairs to her room.

Kouga noticed the redhead go upstairs alone. He wondered if she was still upset about the previous day. She had been acting pretty normal during the party, but he wondered if that was just an act. Excusing himself, he headed up the stairs after her.

Ayame was leaning up against the wall next to the window, watching Rin and Sesshomaru as they talked, when she heard the knock at her bedroom door. Looking over her shoulder she sighed. "Come in," She beckoned. The door opened to reveal Kouga. She smiled at him. "Hey," She said airily.

"Hi," He said, walking over to her.

"Is something wrong?" She asked. "Do they need me to help cleaning up or something?"

Kouga chuckled. "No, I just wanted to come what you were up to." He said.

"Oh..." Ayame blushed lightly, turning back to the cute little couple outside. What she saw nearly made her jump for joy. Rin suddenly had jumped into Sesshomaru's arms happily, the man fully returning the embrace. Ayame couldn't help but crack a wide smile.

"What are you smiling about?" Kouga asked quizzically.

"Oh nothing," Ayame stated, waving it off, unable to stop smiling.

"Come on," Kouga said, stepping closer to hover over the short redhead. "Tell me."

"It's nothing really," Ayame shook her head.

The two locked eyes and time seemed to stop. Ayame got lost in the depths of his azure eyes, Kouga entranced by her shimmering emeralds. Neither of them could tell you how much time passed as they stood there, close to one another, just looking into each others eyes. But their moment was cut short when the petite brunette came bounding cheerfully into the room.

"AYAME!" Rin exclaimed, a wide, radiant smile upon her lips. "Oh my gosh! Ayame you'll never guess... what...?" She trailed off after noticing Kouga standing rather close to her friend. "Oh... I'll, uh, come back later..." She said, turning to leave.

"It's ok Rin," Kouga stated. "I was just leaving." Kouga laughed, walking passed Rin and out the door. "See you two later."

"See ya." Ayame called after him. Rin turned to look at her friend, her smile now devious. "Don't." Ayame warned.

Rin giggled before grabbing Ayame's hand and forcing her to sit on the bed with her. "Oh my gosh Ayame! You'll never guess what just happened!" She squealed.

"What?" Ayame asked, playing innocent.

"Me and Sess were out in the back yard, just talking and stuff," Rin reminisced. "And suddenly he thanked me, yes, thanked me for planning the party, saying it was enjoyable. I told him it was no problem. Then he said that it meant more to him that I had planned than it would have if any one else had. And of course I got flustered. Then he told me that her truly cared for my and stuff and then embraced me and-" She never finished. She fell back on the bed and began to giggle like a she was drunk or high.

"I'm so happy for you Rin," Ayame said with a genuine smile, glad to see her friend so head over heals. "I must admit, you two are definitely cute together." Ayame giggled and laid back next to her friend. "So are you two official now?"

Rin nodded happily and sighed. She then rolled onto her side and looked at Ayame. "So, what were you and Kouga up to?"

"Nothing." Ayame rolled her eyes. "Don't go getting any idea's. We were just talking."

"He was awfully close for 'just talking.'" Rin giggled.

"I think he was trying to be intimidating." Ayame stated, blushing lightly.

"Than why are you blushing?" Rin said bursting into gales of laughter as Ayame's blush darkened.

"I-I dunno." Ayame said, her face beat red by now.

"You like him don't you?" Rin said, grinning like the devil.

"I... He... I don't know." Ayame sighed. "I mean, he's a great guy and he's good looking. But I just got out of a really serious relationship... isn't it a little too soon to start thinking about other guys?" Ayame asked her friend sceptically.

"It's never too soon, Aya." Rin said. "You and Kouga would be so cute together. And to be honest, I think he likes you too."

"He likes Kagome, though." Ayame said, disappointment settling deep inside of her as her said that.

"He hasn't come on to her since the day you met him." Rin informed her.

"Really?"

"Kagome would have said something if he had."

Ayame looked down, biting her lip. "I don't know." She said again. "Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. I honestly don't know myself." With that she got up off the bed and headed to the door. "I'm going to go help clean up." She called over her shoulder before leaving the room.

Rin smiled knowingly as she watched her friend. It was obvious that the girl liked Kouga. Now all they needed was Kouga to fess up. Rin smiled devilishly. She had a plan.

AN: I did it! I did it! I finally finished it! w00t! Sorry about the long wait. Like I said earlier I've been really busy.

The next chapter may be a couple of weeks, maybe not. Actually probably not. Since March Break is a little over a week away. I will definately be writing then. XD

Anyways, I don't think this chapter is as good as my others but it's definately longer. The next one should be longer aswell. I'm sorry about the poor quality. I think it ended well, though.

Oh and sorry about that who Lord of the Rings scene. I needed to put something in and for some reason that came to mind. Just ignore it. And according to my mom Orlando Bloom broke up with Kate Basworth... but I wrote this before that happened... so SHHHHHHHHHHH

Anywho, R&R. Toodles!

Next Chapter: Telling the Family 


	7. Telling the Family

AN: I'm back! yes, yes I am. I'm sorry that it took so long to update once again. I know I said I'd update on March Break but I was a little bit bitter then cuz I had only gotten 1... maybe 2 reviews at that time. Then again, I didn't update anything like I said I would then cuz it went by so fast. teehee. Anywho, since then I've had school, yeah? so I was busy. And we can't forget the laziness factor aswell. And spring arrived! w00t! it's gone now with that damned blizzard yesterday -glares out window- it couldn't of happened today and you know, given me a snowday. Stupid weather. 

Review Responses

phantomoftheflame: lol! Give me Dominic Monaghan any day and I die happy. lol. I've been in love -coughobsessedcough- with the guy for about 3 years now... he plays Merry btw.

shadowww15: well, I hope you continue to enjoy this one. Do you read My Sailor Man? I know this is major self pimpage here but I seriously think its my best one. You should read it.

AyamexKouga: Here be-eth ma update!

xInfernal: I know... those two are so cute!

InugirlSakura: lol, thanks! Sorry I didn't update sooner.

wolfgurl24: Thanks, they're my fave pairing too (if it weren't already obvious by the number of Kou/Aya fics I've written) And look for the appearance of another much loved Inuyasha character this chapter... I don't think there are anymore though...

Kirara980: lol, nice. You'll find out her plan very very VERY soon...

That's it for now! AN to be continued...

* * *

"I'll only be gone for the night," Ayame said as she made her way down the stairs with a duffel bag in hand, Rin right behind her. "I'll be back sometime tomorrow afternoon... morning if traffics good, which it rarely is."

"Alright," Rin said with the bright smile that she had been wearing all week, non-stop. "Tell Shippo and Gramps I say hi!" She opened the door for Ayame, as said redhead slipped on her favourite flip-flop.

"Will do," Ayame giggled, giving Rin a two-fingered salute before walking out the door.

Rin waved as her friend headed to her car. Closing the door Rin's smile turned mischievous. "Meeting in the living room!" She yelled so that everyone in the house could hear.

Ayame pulled a Chubba Chubb strawberry vanilla lollipop out the back pocket of her denim capris and unwrapped it before putting it in her mouth. She opened the driver's side door of her car and got in, throwing her overnight bag in the passenger seat. She buckled up her seat and adjusted the rear-view mirror. She started the car before she took out a burned CD from the CD holder next to her and slipped it into the cars CD player.

Ayame backed out of the driveway and started towards the highway, the sounds of The Dirty Glass by Dropkick Murphys filling car as she did so.

**Murphy, Murphy darling dear  
I long for you now night and day  
Your pain was my pleasure, your sorrow my joy  
I feel now I've lost you to health and good cheer...**

* * *

Kagome and Sango looked at Rin quizzically as the brunette tried to contain her excitement. "Alright, I'm sure you're both wondering what is so important that I had to take you away from your busy lives..." Sango snorted while Kagome raised an eyebrow at that comment. "Well, it is my belief that our dear redheaded friend has the hots for a certain blue eyed man..."

"What?" Sango exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her seat. "Ayame likes Kouga? No way! She's still too hung up on Riku to think about another guy."

"I dunno Sango," Kagome cut in. "They have become rather chummy. In fact, I think Kouga might feel the same."

"But Kouga thinks he's in love with you..." Sango stated sceptically.

"Actually, I've noticed that he hasn't really flirted with Kagome or even called her 'his woman' since he met Ayame." Rin informed them.

Sango blinked as she thought over this information. "Are you positive that Ayame like him?" Sango asked.

"She practically admitted it at Fluffy's party when I was talking to her after me and Sesshy got together." Rin nodded.

"Well then," Sango said, dropping her arms in defeat. "What are we going to do?"

"There's only one thing we can do for now." Rin stated.

"Oh?" Kagome said standing up. "What's that?"

"We have to get Kouga to admit his feelings!"

* * *

**You weren't the first to court me mister you won't be the last  
Oh, sure I wasn't honey, I know all about your past  
Listen to the big shot with his pager on call  
You spent most of those nights in my bathroom stall  
(Yeah, you got him high, but you left him low)  
Mind your own business, boy, how was I to know  
That he was just a fiend and a no-good cheat  
Well it's all in the past bitch 'cause now I've got it beat**

**Darcy, Darcy darling dear,  
You left me dying, crying there  
In whiskey, gin, and pints of beer  
I fell for you my darling dear**

Ayame tapped her fingers on the steering wheel as she sang along to the song. Her friends never really understood her love for English music. But then again, they hadn't met her until college. She had lived in Canada for 5 years before then. She was quite fluent with Japanese and English. This came in handy when it came to getting a job.

That's what she had been doing the past week since Sesshomaru's party the previous Sunday. She had been going to interviews and handing out applications for jobs all week. She had gone to the places that Kagome, Sango and Rin work at and several other places. She was sure that she had snagged a well paying job at a large local company as a secretary.

**Darcy, Darcy darling dear,  
You left me dying, crying there  
In whiskey, gin, and pints of beer  
I fell for you my darling dear**

She came to yet another stop. Traffic was horrible. She had hoped that it would have been clear by now, seeing as it was 11 meaning that morning rush hour was over. She sighed. It was gonna be one long trip.

**Darcy, Darcy darling dear,  
You left me dying, crying there  
In whiskey, gin, and pints of beer  
I fell for you my darling dear**

* * *

Kouga was laying on the couch in the living room of the guys house, remote in hand, flicking through the television stations to find something good to watch. He heard the front door open and close, but ignored it, figuring it was just Inuyasha or Miroku. He glanced up, surprised to see Rin enter the room, looking cheery as usual.

"Fluffy won't be home for another hour," He informed her, looking back at the televisions, finally stopping on a station with a soccer game on.

"I see..." Rin trailed off before flopping down on the arm chair adjacent to the couch.

Kouga looked up at her quizzically. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Waiting for Sess," She stated simply, before putting on a fake hurt look. "Why? Do you not want me here?"

Kouga merely shrugged. "Whatever, make yourself at home."

The two sat (or in Kouga's case, laid) there, an uncomfortable silence falling between them. Kouga watched the soccer game, practically ignoring the fidgeting brunette. Finally, Rin broke the silence.

"Soooo..." She said, drawing Kouga's attention. "How have you been?"

Kouga gave her a funny look. "Alright, I guess." He answered. "You?"

"Oh, I'm good." She nodded, smiling brightly. More silence passed. "Hey, Kouga?"

"Hmmm?" Was Kouga's only response.

"What do think of Ayame?" She asked, trying not to look devious.

Kouga pushed himself up into a comfortable sitting position so he good look at Rin better. "She's alright. Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Rin giggled nervously.

Kouga gave her a suspicious look. "Whatever." He said turning back to his game.

"Just 'alright'?" She asked.

"What?" Kouga turned around to face her again.

"You said she's 'alright.' Is that really all you think about her?" Rin asked a hint of hope in her voice.

"Well, she's fun to hang around..." Kouga added on to his previous comment.

'this is it!' Rin thought excitedly to herself.

"She seems pretty hung up on the ex-boyfriend of hers, though."

"But what if I told you she was over that?" Rin asked, getting excited. "Would you be interested?"

There was a slight pause. "What?" Kouga asked.

Rin gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "Erm... N-nothing!" She stammered, her face turning a bright red. "I... uh... I gotta go. Tell Sess I stopped by!" With that she ran from the room leaving a very confused Kouga in her wake.

* * *

**"Would you marry me? honey" omedetou ima  
Yatto deaeta mahou no kotoba  
Totemo sasai na hajimari ga hora  
Totemo ookina ai ni kawatteku**

Ayame yawned wildly as she looked at her watch. 1 PM. 'Great,' She thought sarcastically to herself. She had planned on being home right about now. Instead she was caught in traffic a half hour away. Ok so the fact that she was running late wasn't the problem but the fact that there was zero movement among the traffic, was definitely a problem.

**Tsuyogaru hitomi ya  
Chotto bukiyou na kuchi  
Yappa BUSAIKU na nakigao**

**Soredemo anata no rin to shita sugata ni  
Zutto akogarete iru ka-**

Ayame changed the song. She wasn't in the mood for sappy songs about marriage, as much as she loved Do As Infinity.

**Akaku nijimu taiyou wa subete o  
Terashite kita ima mo mukashi mo  
Kono yuuyami ni egaiteru souzou wa  
Hatashite kono te ni oenai mono na no ka?**

"This works," She said to herself. Looking out at the traffic, she groaned, her head falling forward onto her hands.

* * *

Kouga gave up on watching the soccer game. What Rin had said was stuck in his mind. Would he be interested in Ayame is she weren't still upset over her break-up with that jerk... what was his name... Ryo? No... Riku! Yes! That was it, Riku. Would he want to be with Ayame if she weren't hung up about that Riku character?

He couldn't deny to himself that she was attractive. That was easy to see. And she was funny and certainly not shy and all around good-natured. Yeah, she had many characteristics he liked. Maybe even more than Kagome...

Kouga shook his head at his thoughts as he entered the gym downtown. He wanted to get his frustrations out at the moment so he had decide, what better way to do so than to work out? There was a reason he was in such great shape you know.

After a few stretches, Kouga headed over to the weight machine and started his workout. After nearly an hour of weight lifting he decided to do some running on the treadmill. He started off fast. He was never one for starting slow.

"Haven't you ever heard of pacing yourself?" A female voice called from beside him.

Kouga looked to the side, still running, to see Sango on one of the exercise bikes. She looked like she had been there for hours, sweat soaked her face, some pieces of hair sticking to her forehead.

"Sango? What are you doing here?" Kouga asked.

Sango gave him a could-you-be-more-dense look. "We're at a gym Kouga, what do you think I'm doing here, ordering a pizza?"

Kouga rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

"So, what are you here to think about this time?" Sango asked. She and Kouga had one thing in common; they both came to the gym when they wanted to think. She was here now because she wanted to think about the whole Kouga/Ayame situation, she had a feeling that Kouga was here for the same reason.

"Nothing," Kouga stated stubbornly.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain friend of mine, would it?" Sango inquired. "You know, the redhead."

Kouga glared at her suspiciously. "What gives you that idea?" He asked.

"I'll take that as a yes." Sango gave a tired laugh.

"Hey! I didn't say that!" Kouga yelled. "Don't put words in my mouth!"

"Heh, it's ok Kouga. I won't tell her." Sango said reassuringly with a wink. "And just so you know, she's over Riku. There's nothing to get in the way of her going out with you." Laughing at Kouga's dumbfounded expression, Sango waved, heading towards the women's change rooms to shower.

Kouga shook his head. "Women."

* * *

"Finally!" Ayame exclaimed as she stepped out of the car, duffel bag in hand. It was not 2:30. She swiftly made her way down the walk way and up the stairs to stand on the porch of the decent sized baby blue and white house her grandfather and younger brother lived in. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

She could hear movement inside and it wasn't long before the door opened to reveal a redheaded teenage boy. The boy smiled at the sight of his older sister. "Ayame!" He cheered giving her a hug. It had been months since they had last seen each other.

Ayame laughed. "Hey there Shippo," She said.

"Gramps!" Shippo called, letting his sister into the house. "Gramps! Ayame's here!" He looked at said girl and smiled.

Ayame ruffled her sibling's hair. Before turning to the sound of footsteps. "Ayame!" A deep voice came from the hallway. "It's wonderful to see you again," The old man said as he came into view.

Ayame walked up to him and gave the man a bear hug. "It's great to see you too Gramps." She said with a genuine smile.

"Well, come on, let have some tea." Her grandfather ushered toward the kitchen/dining room, Shippo right behind them.

* * *

Kagome was sitting at the patio table in the backyard of the girl's house, looking through the latest gossip magazine. Humming silently to herself, she read about the hottest couple in Japan and they're current 'love issues'. A rustling in the bushed next to her caused her to look up from the article to see that Kouga was coming into they're yard through the bushed that separated the two yards.

"Hey Kouga," She said with a smile. 'This is my chance!" She thought to her self.

"Hey Kagome." He said, untangling himself from the bushes. "Is Ayame around?"

'This could be easier than I thought...' She smiled devilishly. "No, she's not here right now, why?" She asked.

"Oh no reason. Just wondering." He said innocently.

Kagome's smirk grew. "Why is there something you want to say to her... or perhaps ask her?" She asked with a sink.

"Uh... No not really," Kouga said, a bit nervous about the look on Kagome's face.

"Oh come on Kouga," Kagome said, standing up and elbowing him in the stomach. "Just admit it."

"Admit what?" Kouga asked.

"That you like Ayame, of course." Kagome laughed, giving him a playful smack on the back.

"I... I what?" He sputtered.

"You heard me," Kagome giggled. "No need to deny it, it's kinda obvious.

In an instant Kouga had her hands clasped in her own. "You know your the only woman for Kagome."

Kagome instantly adopted the fake look of happiness. "Heheh... Kouga, come on..." She pulled her hand out of his. "Don't try to cover it up either. It's ok, I swear I won't tell her."

"There's nothing to tell her," Kouga stated, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Whatever you say Kouga." She giggled before leaning in. "I'll tell you a secret though, I think she likes you too." She whispered. With a wave Kagome went back inside, leaving Kouga once again dumbfounded.

"What is with you people today?" He asked no one in particular, before heading back to his own house.

* * *

Ayame, Shippo and their grandfather sat around the circular table, the later of the group looking at Ayame with curiosity, steaming hot tea in front of each of them. "Well, I'm guessing that you've figured out by now that I didn't just come home to say hi." Ayame started.

"Well, yeah." Shippo said. "I mean you haven't been home in nearly a year. Something must be up." Her grandfather nodded.

"The thing is... I have some news." She stated, looking at her hands as she tried to figure out how to tell them. "About a month ago now... uhm..." She looked at the two in front of her, who were looking right back at her. "Me and Riku broke up." She blurted out.

"What?" Her Grandfather said in shock. "Why?"

"I caught him cheating on me..." Ayame answered quietly.

"What!" Shippo exclaimed jumping out of his seat, nearly knocking the table over while doing so. "I'll kill him! I'll kill that stupid bastard!"

"Shippo!" Ayame said waving her hands in front of her. "It's ok, Shippo, please, calm down." She laughed lightly as the teenager sat down with a small pout, his face showing his angered thoughts though. "I've been living with Rin and Sango and Kagome for the last month now."

Her grandfather looked up at her with a smile that shocked her. "I'm glad you finally came to your senses and left." Ayame blinked at this statement. "That boy was never good for you. I never liked him."

"Me neither," Shippo agreed.

"B-but... you said you loved the guy...The both of you." Ayame stammered, looking at them both incredulously.

"I only said that because you seemed so infatuated with him." Her grandfather said calmly. "I'm just sorry you got hurt." He said putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

Ayame looked back and forth between her two remaining family members then smiled. "Thanks."

* * *

Kouga was back in his position on the couch staring at the black television set boredly. There was nothing on, there was nothing to do, and all those conversations he had had with the girls today were weighing heavily on his mind.

Behind Kouga, Sesshomaru sat at the dining room table (they have one of those attached kitchen/dining room/living room) reading the newspaper. The silence however was getting to the silver haired man. Looking over the paper, Sesshomaru glared at the back of Kouga's head. "Are you going to mope around here all night?" He asked.

Kouga snorted but didn't answer.

Sesshomaru put down the paper. He knew what was bothering the man. He had talked to Rin when he got home. Rin had told him all about the conversations that Kouga had had with each of the girls. And he also knew that the girls were right. Kouga liked that redhead. It was obvious. His reaction, if anything, was proof enough. "Will you stop kidding yourself and admit it." Sesshomaru said, sounding as annoyed.

"Not you too..." Kouga said coldly. "Fine! I like her. Ok? Happy? Go tell you girlfriend and her little friends that they were right. Kouga's in love with Ayame. Big flippin' deal."

"Was that so hard?" Sesshomaru asked a small smirk on his lips.

Kouga simply glared at the man. The two men stared at one each other for a minute before Kouga sighed. "I don't know why I'm denying it, alright? I just can't seem to admit it. Not to her friends at least. I guess..." He trailed of, turning back to the television. "I guess I'm just afraid she'll reject me."

"Didn't Kagome tell you that Ayame liked you?" Sesshomaru asked, his voice showing no hint that he cared for the problem at hand, as he resumed reading the newspaper.

Kouga whipped around in his seat. "How the hell did you know about that?"

"I was given a play by play of today's events." Sesshomaru stated boredly. Kouga 'hmphed' and turned back to the television. Sesshomaru sighed. "So are you going to make a move or not?"

"Keh, you're one to talk. How long did it take for you to finally tell Rin how you felt?" Kouga scoffed.

"No one ever told me that she liked me." Sesshomaru stated coldly.

"Oh right, 'cause she wasn't practically jumping up in down in front of you yell... no, more like screaming her undying love for you." Kouga said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Sesshomaru simply glared at him.

* * *

Ayame sighed as she pulled off the highway the next morning. "Where was this traffic yesterday?" She asked no one.

**Dare mo gami na shitteru  
Kese ya shinai kizu wo  
Dore ku nai tsuzuku no  
Mou iranai yo**

Thankfully the distance between her house and the highway was small. She would be there in two minutes tops.

**Dare mo gami na matteru  
Arasoi no nai hibi wo  
Sen jo no heishi tachi  
Omoidashite yo  
Ima haha no nukumori wo**

**Kono hageshii na ku  
Hiroi sekai ni  
Jibun dake no chizu egaite  
Namida koraete bokura wa aruite (ie go wo ?)**

She sang along to Do As Infinity's Rakuen as she drove through town. Finally reaching the house, she pulled in the driveway and turned off the car. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she grabbed her duffel bag and got out of the car, kicking the door shut. Stretching, she started towards the house.

"Ayame!" A voice, she recognised at Kouga's, came from her left. Ayame had to stop herself from staring and/or drooling. Kouga had been mowing the lawn and was topless, wearing some denim shorts.

"Uh..." She gulped. "Hey" She said with a smile.

Kouga turned odd the mower and walked over to her. "Where were you yesterday? I didn't see you at all." He looked at her duffel bag. "You go somewhere?" Kouga tensed a little, what if she had gone back to Riku...

"Huh?" Ayame said, surprised to see him tense up. She saw him looking at the duffel bag. She laughed. "Oh yeah. I went home for the night. I had to talk to Gramps and my brother, Shippo, about..." She paused. "Some things."

"Like Riku?" Kouga asked solemnly.

Ayame was surprised to hear Kouga mention Riku but shook it off. "Yeah," She laughed nervously, scratching the back of her neck. "I figured it was time to tell them about the split. Now that I'm over it, you know?"

Kouga smirked lightly. "Yeah, I guess."

"Anyways, I should be going." Ayame said, laughing. "Gotta go make sure the girls didn't make a mess of things while I was gone. See ya later!" She waved and started to the front door.

Kouga smiled. "See ya."

* * *

AN: OMFG! Holy long. Holy Unexpectedly long! I've spent like... all afternoon on this. I started at like... 2 and it's not 7. So you better all have enjoyed this.

Ok lets see if I can remembered teh songs I used... 1) The Dirty Glass by Dropkick Murpheys (scottish punk band, funny as hell song, you should listen to it) 2) Would You Marry Me? (Mahou no Kotoba) by Do As Infinity 3) Shinjitsu no Uta by Do As Infinity and 4) Rakuen by (you guessed it) Do As Infinity... I really like Do As Infinity if you couldn't already tell.

Anywho, the faster the reviews come the fast I update people! so... hit the little blue button and review! Ciao!

(OMFG! According to my Word... this is 8 freaking pages long! O.o OMFG! thats like double what I usually write!)


	8. Party in Tokyo

AN: EEP! I'm sorry this took so long! I got really busy the past few weeks and just haven't gotten around to writing this chap. I can garentee that the next one will be out a lot soon as it's already been written. It had been written back before I posted chapter two so... yeah it'll be up soon enough. 

Review Responses:

AyamexKouga: Sorry to keep you waiting for so long. teehee. Next chapter will be out soon!

phantomoftheflame: I know! -huggles Kouga- And you'll never be as bad as me... how long has it been since I updated this? a while. -sigh- summer is soon.

Star Gemini: lol, evil but fun!

Shadowww15: Anything with Kouga and Sessy together is great... its like sexiness overload... uh... what was I talking about? lol!

XInfernal: But will he do anything about it is the question.

On with the story!

* * *

Ayame stood looking at herself in the full length mirror in front or her, striking several poses before shaking her head and pulling off the top she had been trying on. Grabbing yet another on off her bed, she slipped it on over her head. This one a band shirt for Linkin Park from that one concert she had gone to with Sango second year of college. Sneering at her reflection, she tore it off as well and started rummaging through the pile of shirts on her bed next to Rin who was watching her boredly. 

"Come on, Aya." Kagome sighed giving Ayame a bland look. "You've been at this all afternoon! You've been through your closet, not to mention mine and Sango's, twice! It's just a shirt!"

"I wanna look presentable." Ayame stated absentmindedly as she picked up a green sleeveless turtle next shirt.

"It's just a casual party Ayame. You don't need to get all fancy." Kagome rolled her eyes. "You'll just get wasted and come home. You wouldn't want some one who can't hold their liquor to ruin a perfectly good top."

"Kags, this is the first party I've been to, that isn't just us, since I broke up with Riku. I'm a single woman again..." Ayame stopped, looking down as she trailed off.

Kagome gave her a sympathetic yet irritated look. "You've been a single woman before and gone to parties without all this fussing. What's the big deal now?"

Ayame sighed. "I don't know." She admitted, sitting down next to her friend. "It just seems so big now."

"This wouldn't have anything with a certain man we both know who lives next door with black and sky blue eyes?" Kagome asked with a wriggle of her eyebrows.

Ayame's face instantly turned the colour of a cherry. "W-What? No! What gave you that idea?" Ayame nearly shouted eyes wide.

Kagome burst into laughter. "You're hopeless, Aya." She said between giggles.

"What do you mean by that?" Ayame asked, glaring at her friend.

"Oh, nothing." Kagome said as she stood and started for the door. "That shirt looks great, Aya. You should wear that black skirt you bought last week." And with that she was gone, leaving Ayame blinking at the doorway where she had been not two seconds before.

Standing up, Ayame went to her dresser and pulled out the black skirt Kagome had suggested and slipped it on. Turning to the mirror, she examined her outfit. She had to admit, Kagome had been right. And maybe not just about the skirt. There was a small voice in her mind telling her to look nice so she'd catch Kouga's eye.

She had admitted that she found him attractive when she first laid eyes on him. There had just been this pull towards him; she was just drawn to him like a fly to a light. And now, nearly a month and a half later, about three weeks since she had told her family about Riku, she finally felt she was ready. To have a fling, a relationship, heck, a one night stand if that's all it turned out to be. Whatever would happen between her and Kouga, she was ready to let it happen. Ready to take the first few steps if he wasn't.

Nodding at her reflection in a determined fashion, she headed to her small desk, grabbing her makeup bag along the way.

* * *

It was a large house, jammed packed full of people from all over Japan. The music was blaring; one could feel the ground shake with the deep vibrations of the bass line. People were chatting, fighting, yelling, dancing, and kissing. The girls were reminded of the more hardcore parties they had gone to back in college. Once inside they each split up.

* * *

Rin sat on the hill out back the looked over the bay. Her chin in the palm of her hand, she sighed. As much as she had been the troublemaker with Ayame back in the day, she was never one for loud, crowded parties. That had always been Sango and Ayame's forte. At least she was able to find some peace and quiet out here. Blowing her bangs out of her eyes she leaned over, resting her head on Sesshomaru's shoulder. The guys had come with them to this party. 

Sess looked down at his girlfriend. "Are you ready to leave?" He asked. Like Rin, he didn't car for the party scene either. He would have rather stayed home than come here, especially with the others gone.

"I don't know." Rin shrugged. "I don't want to leave the others here alone."

"Rin, there are three of them, in a house full of people," Sess reminded her, raising an eyebrow. "I wouldn't call that alone. Besides, what's the difference between you being at home enjoying yourself and being out here, away from them, and bored?"

Rin smiled up at Sess. He always had a good answer that made her feel better. One of the many traits she loved about him. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Sango stood in the lounge, watching everyone around get smashed while pouting slightly. She cursed herself for offering to be the dedicated driver, and thus could not drink. That's what she and Ayame use to be famous for; going to parties and having drinking contests and getting so wasted that they couldn't see straight. What had possessed her to volunteer, actually volunteer, to not drink? 

"Soda?"

She glanced over her shoulder to see if the voice she had just heard was addressing her. There were so many people there, she couldn't tell for sure. She felt her face flush when her eyes connected with the deep blue, almost violet eyes of Miroku. He was looking incredibly good tonight. Not that he was dressed up, or down for that matter, he just seem to stand out in her mind. She had always been good at hiding her feelings for him. She'd always been the 'take no guff' type of girl, and that tough girl attitude was very good at covering supreme giddy teenage girl-like feelings.

"Sango?" Miroku asked, giving her a questioning look.

Instantly she pulled out of her thoughts, cursing herself mentally for staring. "I'm sorry, what?" She shot him an apologetic smile.

"I offered you a soda." He held out a can of no-name brand cola. "Rin mentioned that you were the DD tonight, like me. I figured you could use some sober company."

"Oh, yes. Thank you." Sango bowed her head in thanks as she took the offered soda. Opening it, she took a sip and sighed. "I wish I hadn't agreed to not drink."

"Oh?" Miroku quirked an eyebrow. "You don't strike me at the party hard type."

Sango smile smugly. "I'll have you know, I use to be quite the party animal."

"Really?"

"Yup. Me and Aya use to dominate the party scene."

"Well, I can definitely see miss Ayame as that type." Miroku stated looking over his shoulder to see Ayame doing shots in the kitchen.

Sango followed his gaze and snorted. "Yeah, Aya likes her liquor all right." She smirked. "I can drink her under the table."

Miroku laughed. "I'm sure you could." He smiled when he saw her glare. "I'm serious, you've got the determination. Even if your body demanded that you stop drinking, I'm sure you would endure just to prove your point."

"Hmph, you're damn right." Sango huffed proudly. She watched her friend raise her hands in victory as her opponent passed out. Sighing she turned and began to head in the opposite direction. "I need some fresh air." She told her companion. She froze in her tracks when she felt him grab her by the hand. She looked down at they're linked hands then up at his face, her cheeks a bright cherry red.

"Sango..." He trailed off, looking her in the eye. "Can I talk to you about something?"

Raising an eyebrow, Sango looked over her shoulder to the screen door, then back at him. "Uh... sure. But can we talk outside?"

With a gentle smile, Miroku nodded, following the woman out the door, hands still linked.

* * *

"Done!" Kagome cheered, cringing, slamming her shot glass down on the table and lifting her arms into the air in victory. Of course she wasn't exactly stable, balance wise, as she'd had just downed about 3 shots of whiskey on top of the bottle of beer she had all but chugged earlier, so the sudden movement sent her to the ground and Ayame into a fit of mad giggles. "Owie..." Kagome pouted, rubbing her now sore bottom, then raising her hand to her throat and making a gagging gesture before shuddering. 

Ayame held out a hand to her shitfaced friend. "Methinks you've had to much." Ayame stated through giggles.

"Have not!" Kagome said sulkily, taking the offered hand and allowing her friend to pull her up, only to stumble forward into said friend.

"You never could hold your liquor very well..." Ayame chuckled as she steadied her friend. "Just don't start singing on us, you'll scare everyone away."

At Kagome's hurt look, Ayame burst into laughter. "Hey, I happen to have a lovely singing voice." She said indignantly, poking a finger at her friend in emphasis only to have that throw her off balance into a stunned and also quite hammered man behind Ayame, who had stepped out of the way, and sending the two of them onto the ground. Ayame was now in tears laughing.

Kagome sat up; now straddling the man she had fell on top of. Looking down at the confused bystander, she blinked, letting him come into focus a bit better. She had finally begun to make out features when he sat up, they're noses touching at such close proximity. Staring straight ahead, Kagome found herself confronted by two wide, amber eyes. She blinked once. Twice. Three times.

"Inuyasha?"

"Kagome?"

"I-I... wha-? Uhm..." Kagome sputtered, trying to grasp onto a thought to strike up a conversation with the man whom she was still sitting on.

"Your breath stinks." Inuyasha stated.

"So does yours, you drunk!" Kagome huffed.

"Keh, you probably just smell your own breath." Inuyasha scoffed. "And who are you calling a drunk you hypocrite!"

"I am not drunk!" Kagome yelled.

"Yes you are!" Inuyasha shot back. "How else do you explain this?"

"Explain what?" Kagome asked in confusion.

"You falling on me!" Inuyasha reminded her.

"I... You... Shut up!" She stuttered.

"Make me!"

"Maybe I will!"

"Fi-" Inuyasha was cut off as Kagome sudden wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a crushing kiss. His eyes shot wide open, but after a second closed and he returned the kiss whole heartedly.

Ayame, who had been standing there the entire time, went bug eyed. "Well... hot damn, Kags, I never knew you had it in you." She giggled before turning away. "I'll just leave you two to it then..." She grabbed the half full bottle of whiskey her and Kagome had been doing shots from and walked away.

Pulling out of the Kiss Kagome gasped for breath before laughing. Inuyasha blinked. "What's so funny?" He asked.

"I... I... I don't know!" She managed to get out between gasp for air and giggles. Inuyasha was about to protest when she pulled him back into a kiss, equally as passionate as the other. People at the party laughed and commented on how 'someone was gonna get lucky tonight' as they passed, but neither of the drunken couple heard them, they were too preoccupied with their drunken kiss to care.

* * *

"So what's on your mind?" Sango asked as she and Miroku walked through the garden. It was practically abandoned here. Everyone was inside or on the patio, while Miroku had opted to walk through the peaceful gardens. 

"Well..." Miroku started, trying to figure out how to put his thoughts into words. "Sango... How do you think of me?" He asked, his tone serious but casual.

"U-um, Well, I... I...uh..." She sputtered, thrown off by the question. "Well, you're a lech, but your also very smart and good looking, I guess. You're most certainly not as hot headed as Kouga or Inuyasha, thank god. You are a womanizer though. But all and all, I guess you're a good guy... Why do you ask?"

Miroku sighed, sitting down on a bench, motioning for Sango to sit next to him. "Is that all you see me as? A smart, fairly good-looking man who's a womanizer?"

"Well... You're a good friend..." Sango added, unsure where this was headed.

"Just a friend?" He sighed. "I suppose you're right. That is all I am... to most women..."

Sango's eyes softened at his depressed tone, her heart sinking as she fit the pieces together. "I-is there a woman you're interested in that doesn't feel the same way or something?" She asked.

"It would appear to be so." Miroku smiled sadly, looking up at the stars. "It's a beautiful night."

"Who?" Sango asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Do I know her?"

Miroku smirked slightly. "Far better than I do."

"Kagome? Rin? Ayame?" Sango began listing the names of all the women they knew.

"No, no, none of them." Miroku chuckled. "I'll admit, they are very attractive women, but none of them are as wonderful or as beautiful as the woman I seem to have fallen for. Besides, my room mate would murder me if I thought about any of them in that way."

"Than who?" Sango asked. Miroku remained silent, frustrating Sango beyond reason. "Come on Miroku! You can't just-"

"Sango." He smiled, looking down.

"What?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Is it really that hard for you to figure it out?" Miroku asked.

"What do you mean?" Sango said, shooting him a questioning look.

"Your friend figured it out a long time ago, I figured you would have too... But then again, that's how it usually works, isn't it?" He said with a hint of laughter in his voice, his eyes still seem depressed though.

"How what works?" Sango asked, getting more confused.

"The one you like is always the last one to figure out that you like them." He stated simply.

"What?" She blinked confusedly. "Wait... but you just said I was the only one who didn't seem to have figured it out... Does that mean...?"

Miroku turned, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. Their eyes met, Miroku's gentle, Sango's wide and confused. Slowly, he leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against hers in a sweet and simple kiss.

After a minute, He pulled away, leaning his forehead up against hers. He smiled seeing her still shocked expression. "Does that answer your question?"

"But... How? When? What?" Sango's mind was racing, making utterly impossible to think of what to say.

Miroku chuckled. "Sango, I've been in love with you since you first moved in next door to us."

Slowly her mind cleared, her expression melted from shocked into a blissful. "Miroku, you have no idea how long I've waited to hear those words from you."

Miroku blinked. It was his turn to be shocked. "You... You what?"

Sango laughed. "I've had these feelings since the first time you groped me. Not that I'd ever let you get away with it." The two laughed.

"Well, this is unexpected." Miroku said.

"Unexpected, but wonderful." Sango shot him a brilliant smile.

"That it is." Miroku nodded, giving her a small kiss. "That it most certainly is."

* * *

Ayame stumbled out of the washroom, nearly falling flat on her face. Leaning against the wall until the world stopped wobbling so violently, she giggled uncontrollably. Not that anything particularly funny had happened, she was just REALLY drunk. She had been doing shots of whiskey all night, along with having several bottles of different liquors and beers. Too top that off, she had just done three shots of tequila in a row... it was truly a miracle that she was still standing. 

Looking down at her watch, she blinked several times, letting the numbers come into focus. 12:47 am. The night was still young in her eyes. She looked around the room, but saw no one familiar. There were few couples in major make out mode, and she was sure that all the bedrooms were full by now. Giggling at the thought she stumbled into the one of the living rooms in the house.

Tripping over someone who decided to conveniently take a nap in on the floor, she fell onto a couple who appeared to be in they're early twenties, who were somewhere between second and third base. "Sorry," Ayame giggled as she pushed herself back onto her feet. She looked down at the couple, who neither seemed to hear her or notice her in anyway.

A sudden and strong urge hit her like a ton of bricks. In fact, it hit her so fast that her face adopted a stunned expression and she had to blink 5 times.

Kouga.

She wanted Kouga. She wanted him badly and she wanted him now.

A sly smile slowly etched its way onto her lips as she turned from the couple and took off to find said man.

She checked, all the bedrooms, but found nothing but people to... preoccupied... to notice. She checked the kitchens, the dining rooms and the decks, but no luck. Getting frustrated, she headed into the billiard room on the main floor.

And there he was. Standing in the corner, pool queue in one hand, beer in the other. On either side of him was a young, barely even legal looking, woman. The one on his right had long ebony hair and dark-grey, almost black eyes. She was dressed in a barely there skirt and a white, see-through, playboy bunny shirt. The other girl was blonde, with blue-grey eyes, dressed in a light-blue dress that left little to the imagination.

Ayame's eyes burned. The girls were practically hanging off him, obviously trying to get his attention enough to go find a bedroom. Her eyes darkened further when she saw him flirting just as shamelessly back.

Feeling a sudden need for revenge, she scanned the room for a guy, any guy that would do. Seeing one man all alone, she started towards him, smirking seductively, swaying her hips slightly.

A tap on the shoulder.

"Ayame?"

* * *

AN: DUN DUN DUN! oh, I is cruel! MUAHAHAHAHA! I know it's horrible of me, to leave you with such a horrible cliffy! Especially since it took me like 3 months to put this out. Which, btw, I'm very sorry about. I've been busy. But fear not! The next chapter is already written. But I'm not going to post it just yet. No. I have a poll for all of you. 

This poll is to decide which story I'll be working on after I post the epilogue of My Sailor Man, on Jun 24th (the same day I'll be posting the next chapter of this. Your options are...

1) My Happy Ending (Sequel to New Beginnings last enstallment in the Falling Series)  
Summary: Sango's got a secret, Ayame's Grandfather is sick and Kagome and Inuyasha are having some relationship problems. What will our group of friends do? - Inuyasha x Kagome / Miroku x Sango / Kouga x Ayame -

2) Meant to Be (sequel to Pieces)  
Summary: It's been two years since the two tribes joined together. Kouga and Ayame, after starting from scratch, begin to realize that maybe certain things from their pasts were meant to be. - Kouga x Ayame -

3) Lost Summary: 20-year-old Ayame Herutsu finds herself alone and frightened in a huge unfamiliar city suffering from amnesia. After meeting up with some 'friends' she is now on a quest to discover what happened. - Possible Kouga x Ayame pairing -

4) Turning My Sailor Man into a sort of Nora Roberts type thing. Have the stories connected. Like say, now that Ayame has found love, it's Kagome's turn and then there would be one for Sango and probably Kagura... maybe even Rin. The Kagura would be with Riku... so Kagura x OC if this were the one you choose.

5) Untitled for now.  
Summary: After the wealthiest man passes away, he leaves his estate to his remaining family members, his grandchildren Inuyasha, Sesshomaru and Ayame, each from the city. Deciding to brave the spooky house on a spooky hill in a tiny little town, the cousins come in and shake things up. - Inuyasha x Kagome / Kouga x Ayame / Sesshomaru x Rin / (minor) Miroku x Sango -

those are the options. Please pleas PLEASE on hands in knees I beg you to vote.

My opinions on these if anyone cares... Well, My Happy Ending... I'm not sure. I lost a lot of reviewers on New Beginnings so I'm not sure whether I should bother. It'd be interesting cuz it's a lot more Inu/Kag oriented. Meant to Be, I'm on the fence. I wouldn't mind if people wanted me to write it now or wait. Lost is a different style than I'm use to going more to the mystery and action/adventure... I'm not even sure of romance, but it'll proabably be implied. The other two would be fun. 4) would be a lot of work but again, fun. 5) has a really crappy summary but I'm thinking about it and loving it. It's gonna be 3 romances in it, not my usual, focus on one thing.

Ok, so how to vote...

1) In your review (which would be easiest)

2) Through email. ( o g a b o g a 8 8 h o t m a i l . c o m )

3) IM ( msn only, refer to prvious email)

Ok, so yeah. Please vote. The next chapter WILL be posted on the 24 of June! After that I'm not sure when I'll get to post. I'm going away for the entire month of July and though I will have my laptop, I'm not sure about internet access. I will be writing, just I might not get to post until the last few days of July, or beginning of August. Then post should be frequent.

That's all for now! R&R please and thankies, don't forget to vote! TOODLES!

**Edit: Someone pointed out that Kagome was OOC in that one scene... I must point out, in my defence, that she is EXTREMELY drunk. Completely plastered. As is Inuyasha. Your judgement gets kinda impaired when you've consumed a little too much alcohol. I know it said that she hadn't really had much... well, ok, she had done shots of whiskey and I dunno if you all have tried a shot of whiskey... It's got a fair amount of alcohol in it and drinking faster (i.e. shots) only gets you drunk faster. And as Ayame states, Kagome can't hold he liquor, meaning it doesn't take long for her to get drunk. I rest my case. And as for who the person is who talks to Ayame... well... you'll see... oh boy... will you see. HINT: our les major conflict is about to touch down... and by about... I mean next chapter...**

**Side Note: If I get... lets say eight reviews before the 24th of June, I will post the next chapter. I know this story is on over 10 peoples favourite lists (thanks to some handy new tool) so 8 shouldn't be too much to ask. Even if it just says 'UPDATE NOW!' It counts. I just thought you should know... I might give in before then. I'm telling you, I really wanna get going... I'm getting to the good part and I'm about to go away! So now fair! Why do I do this to myself! GAH!**


	9. Numb

AN: Ok, I so, I couldn't hold off. I'm posting this now cuz I'm in a good mood and I just wanna get as many chapters out before I go away. The next chapter will probably be on the 24th. 

This chapter is short but very important and emotional. And I wrote this back in like... November... maybe even before than... I dunno. So the writing is probably a bit different (I think its better... I'm getting worse I swear...)

Review Responses

jadeeyedneko: She was drunk... yeah... I went back and put a full explanation of that at the end of the last chapter. I'm glad you liked it. And you're about to get the answer to your question. Number 5 is currently in the lead and I'll post it in the AN on the chapter that comesafter or on June 24th as that's when the poll ends. So don't worry you'll know.

xInfernal: You'll see... and you'll probably hate me. But it's time for the conflict to come into play. Enjoy:D

AyamexKouga: Thank you! I hope you like this one too.

phantomoftheflame: I know. I'm proud of myseld too. I'll definately read your stories when you post them... I have been reading yours updates... I'm just too lazy to review... srry. -smacks self- and didn't you already vote? tsk tsk, no double voting. If it doesn't win, I promise to send you the first chapter seeing as it's written.

shadowww15: Oh, it's no problem. I've been uber slow upating it too so its not like you've missed much since you agreed to it. But hey, if you read it after I finish it... you won't have to wait for updates! hey! lol. I'm glad you liked the chapter. I hope you like this one too.

ON WARDS!

* * *

Ayame awoke the next morning to the sounds of the busy city. The bed in which she was sleeping and the appartment she was in were all too familiar. Her blood ran cold as she felt the man from the previous night kissing back, just below her neck, the way she had always liked. A chill ran down her spine. 

"Morning, babe." The man said silkily, noticing she was awake.

"Morning," Her voice was a hoarse whisper. Tear formed behind her eyes, but she refused to let them show.

"I gotta get going to work." He said, turning her over and kissng her softly. "I'll see you when I get back, right?" Ayame smiled weakly and nodded. "Good." He said getting out of the bed and getting dressed He went into the washroom for a minute, vanishing from her sight.

Ayame hung her head in shame. How could she do this to herself? What in her right mind made her come running back to him of all people? Some random guy in a hotel room would have been better than this, but no. It had to be him. Riku.

"Maybe tonight..." Riku started, walking back into the bedroom tightening his tie. "We can go to where ever it is you've been staying and get your stuff and bring it back here."

Ayame smile weakly again, nodding. "Sound good." She said trying to find her voice.

"Alright," He said, leaning over the bed and giving her a peck on the cheek. "I'll see you after work." With that he left, leaving Ayame alone in the appartment.

She sat in the bed for a good 10 minutes, just letting her mind catch up with her. The tears that had threatened to fall a few minutes before disappeared, as did all feelings she had at the moment. She felt numb. It barely registered in her mind that she had gotten up and dressed. She had put on some old outfit that she hadn't brought with her to the new house. She wandered around the appartment, just looking around for any signs of change. There were none. The space was still as homey and welcoming as she had left it. That was due in large part to her living there. If it had been up to Riku, the place would be white and black and silver; very steril. Finally, she went back into the bedroom and called for a taxi.

It arrived only four minutes later. She got in, paying the driver for the distance they would be driving. The ride was silent, Ayame curled up in the back seat, trying to comfort herself or spark some emotion within herself. At one point the taxi driver asked if she was ok, but she just nodded and said she was fine, giving a fake smile. The driver said nothing more.

They reached the house about half an hour later. Ayame thanked the driver and got out, looking up at the white house in front of her, much like she had the first day she had moved in. The numb feeling was still there. Ever so slowly, she started up the walk way to the front door.

"Ayame?" A masculine voice reached her ears as she neared the front doors. She glanced over in the direction of the speaker. Kouga jogged over to her stopping dead, a few feet away from her, when he saw the blank look in her eyes. "Ayame are you alright?" He asked, his voice full of concern as he took a step closer to her.

"I'm fine." She stated, her voice devoid of emotion. With that she turned and entered the house.

"Ayame?" Kouga said quietly to himself as she closed the door.

Ayame walked up the stairs, not bothering to announce her arrival. She passed Rin as she walked to her room.

"Ayame? What happened to you last night? We were worried..." Rin started watching Ayame walk into her room michanically. "Ayame?" She called out, her voice full of worry. "Ayame what's wrong?"

Ayame ignored Rin's call, in fact, she barely even noticed her friends presence. She was in a sort of trance, she just couldn't break out of it. She closed the door to her bedroom and leaned back against the door. Slowly she slid down the the ground. She hung her head, letting out a soft sigh. Suddenly she was broken out of her trance, her eyes filled with tears that she was now unable to hold back. She began to sob silently to herself. Never before had she experienced ssuch self loathing and disgust.

After a while of just sitting there crying, Ayame got to her feet once again and went to go take a shower. All she wanted to do was wash away this memory.

* * *

"Hey guys?" Rin called as she walked out back to the pool. Sango and Kagome looked up at Rin. "I think there's something wrong with Ayame... She completely ignored me when I talked to her a few seconds ago." 

Sango and Kagome looked at one another than back at Rin. "Do you think something happened last night?" Kagome asked her voice full of concern for her friends well being. "You don't think something bad happened do you?"

"I knew going to that party last night would be a bad idea!" Rin exclaimed looking up at Ayame's bedroom window.

"Guy's calm down!" Sango yelled rubbing her temples.

"Aren't you the least bit concerned?" Kagome asked incredulously.

"Yes, I'm very concerned for Ayame. It's just that we don't know if anything did happen to her last night." Sango stated. "For all we know she could just be really tired and just didn't hear Rin." Rin and Kagome glanced at each other, both knowing that Sango was right. "We shouldn't start jumping to conclusions."

"I think we should go talk to her. You know, just to find out where she went last night." Kagome said after a moment of silence between the group.

"Definately," Sango concured. "And if something did happen, then we will find out." Rin nodded.

The girls got up and walked into the house just on time to see Ayame coming out of the laundry room dressed in a robe and slippers. She looked over at her friends and gave them a cheery smile that the girls easily identified as a fake one.

"Just grabbing a towel..." She said slowly noticing the looks she was getting from her friends. She knew what was coming, and it wasn't something she wanted to face at the moment.

"What happened to you last night Aya?" Kagome asked, casually sitting down at the round dinner table.

"Yeah, you just disappeared," Rin added.

"Oh, nothing..." Ayame said, scratching the back of her head nervously.

"Oh come on Ayame, you don't expect us to beleive that now do you?" Sango aske sinically.

"Uh... yes?" Ayame watched her friends stare expactantly at her for a minute before sighing and turning away from them. "I met a guy and left with him, ok?" She started to walk back towards the stairs.

"Do we know him?" Kagome asked curiously, a sly grin on her face.

Ayame stopped and fumed silently. "Yes..." She said in an impatient tone.

"Really? Who?" Rin sqealed, hoping that this meant nothing bad happened to her best friend.

"I don't want to talk about it." Ayame called over her shoulder as she started up the stairs.

"Come on Aya-"

"I said, I dont want to TALK ABOUT IT!" She screamed, stopping on the fourth step up, tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to fall.

Kagome, Sango and Rin all jumped at Ayame's raised voice. Not once had they ever heard Ayame raise her voice in such a way. Her voice was full of hurt, anger and annoyance. Sango slowly raised to her feet, the puzzle peices falling into place in her mind. "Oh Ayame..." She gasped. "Don't tell me it was him..." She pleaded. Kagome and Rin looked up at Sango in confusion then gasped when they realized who Sango was talking about.

"Oh no, Ayame. I'm so sorry." Kagome said softly, walking quickly over to the stairs to give her friend a hug, closely followed by Rin. Sango stayed where she was in the kitchen, anticipating Ayame's response.

Ayame shook in anger. She seemingly had no control over her emotion. Her eyes burned when Kagome reached out to hug her. "I said I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" She screeched pushing Kagome back into Rin. She stood there for a second watching Rin stumble as Kagome fell back into her. She trembled in a mixture of anger and shock. She couldn't beleive she was treating her friends in such a manner. "I'm sorry," She whispered before turning and running up the stairs.

She went into the washroom, slamming the door behind her. She removed her robe and slippers and set down the towel before stepping into the shower and turning it on. As the water hit her body, washing away all evidence of what had happened the previous night, she silently broke down.

She felt like the biggest loser in the world at that moment in time. She was a horrible friend and a horrible girlfriend. It was no wonder she had a broken or disfunctional relationship and was distant with her friends. It was her fault, everything. From Riku cheating on her to losing contact with the greatest friends she could ever have to the way she felt right then. All her fault. She began to cry, unable to stop it. Her loud sobs and whimpers could be heard throughout the house, breaking her friends hearts.

There was nothing they could do to change how Ayame felt. They could try to comfort her but that would more likely anger her. They could try to give her space but there was no telling what she would do to herself if left alone for too long. No, they need to be inbetween. They need to give her space but be there when she needed them. They would act as if nothing had happened. Act as if everything was normal and they knew nothing of what she had done the night before.

* * *

AN: Ok... so now you probably all hate me. And yes, I garentee it's going to get worse in the next couple of chapters... then it turns into pure fluff! EE! I'm really hyper right now. It's really hot.. Its like... 27C humidity probably has it in the high 30s... I'm not going to bother doing the math into F. It's like... in the 80's or 90's somewhere. There's no breeze, my fans on full blast but only blowing hot air. -sigh- I love summer... but a breeze would be nice. Did I mention... it's midnight. Imagine how hot it was during the day... 

Hilary Duff is filming a movie in my hometown. I know this is random but its funny. Me and my friends have plans... lets just say it involves beets, salt, her air and face and the burning of numerous shoes! MUAHAHAHA! God I hate her...

So yeah... voting continues until the 24th of June. NO VOTING TWICE. So if you haven't voted, refer to last chapter for summaries and VOTE NOW!

R&R! I'm gonna go put a bottle of ice on my neck and temples. TOODLES!


	10. Concequences

AN: I know, I know, it's been a while. I'm sorry. I tried to update before I left but, no such luck. My hard drive died and there was no hope of recovering anything so now my copies of everything are either on my backup disk from before the laptop or gone. I would have written while in Newfoundland but I left my backup disk with the plan at home. And so, to make up for my lack of writing, here I am and 3 am (on the dot) writing the night after I arrived home.

So I'll not keep you waiting any longer. Here are the Review Responses:

Beautiful Massacre: ACK! don't die on me!

d-iirrty: Thank you. I'm glad you're not mad.

shadowww15: Yeah, the uber hotness seems to have dissapated since I left. It cools off at night enough to sleep comfortably. I still say it was Hilary Duffs fault... she's gone now so it must me true. I think you'll be happy with this chapter, if your review is any indication. XD

jade eyed neko: LOL! I'll give you the honour of killing/maiming the man after this chaper as this is the last time he turns up in person! w00t! Happy Maiming.

Star Gemini: Poor Ayame indeed. The story you voted for won! w00t! It could be a while before I get to it. I want to finish this on sometime soon. Only 6 more chapters.

Wolf Princess1991: Thank you. I hope there wasn't too long of a wait for this one.

kagomes pup: oh but I loves the cocane (jk, drugs are for thugs kids!). Lol, well, here's some more for ya.

All Systems Ago!

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The house was silent. Ayame had long since finished her shower and proceded to lock herself in her room. Rin was distracting herself by cleaning the house, a frown ever present on her face. Sango was cooking dinner, occassionally looking up at the ceiling where Ayame's room was located one floor up. Kagome tried to block out the world and its problems by burying herself in a book.

When Sango called everyone for dinner, they all sat around the table for some good old Hamburger Helper. All of them that is, except Ayame, who was still in her room, quiet as a mouse. The meal was eaten in complete silence, the girls shooting glances at the one empty seat every so often.

"Let's kill him." Sango said enthusiastically, banging a fist on the table and effectively startling Kagome and Rin. The two blinked at her for a minute before she continued. "I'm serious. Let's go back to Tokyo, chop of his balls, feed them to him then maim him!"

Kagome gave a nervous laugh. She knew Sango well enough to know that she meant it. "Look, Sango," She started. "We need to be here for Ayame right now. And hurting Riku isn't going to change what happened, and I doubt it will make her feel any better."

"It'll make me feel better..." Sango muttered.

"When she's here with us, she's safe. He can't get to her." Rin said as much to herself as to the others. "We'll help her get through this rough patch and then we won't let him get to her again. That's all we can do."

Sango sighed slouching down in her chair and rubbing her hands over her face. "I know, I know. I just feel helpless, and I don't like it. Things were going so well. I mean, she was back to her normal self. All that's been ruined and there's nothing I can do and it's driving me crazy."

Kagome laid a hand on her friends shoulder. "We all feel the same way," she said, looking at Rin who nodded sadly. "We're just going to have to live with it though."

A silence fell over them again, each of them staring off into space, wishing they could do something. But for now, they knew there was nothing, and even the small comforting gestures such as a hand on the shoulder or a sypathetic look weren't enough to ease the pain they felt for their friend.

The silence broke as the back door slid open and three of the guys walked in. Miroku stopped dead when he saw the scene before him, causing both Inuyasha and Kouga to bump into his back. "Are we interupting something?" He asked.

Sango straightened up immediately and took a deep breath. "No, no," she said getting up and grabbing a few emty dishes. "We were just finishing up dinner, that's all. It's my turn to clean up." She added to Kagome and Rin who were still regainning their composure.

"Oh... right," Kagome hopped up from the table as if it were on fire. "I'm... uh... going to go out back and, eh, water the plants." She hurriedly rushed towards door the guys had just come in. She stopped momemtarily when her eyes connected with Inuyasha's, both of them turning away, faces red.

"I'll be in the living room." Rin said as she all but ran out of the room.

The guys stood there baffled for a moment, looking at one another in confusion. With a shrug, Kouga walked to the living room, secretly hoping to find Ayame there. Inuyasha mummbled something about needing to talk to Kagome and walked back out the door. Miroku, however, stayed glued to the spot, watching Sango, the woman he loved, shakily carry the dishes from table to sink.

"Sango..." He started, his voice soft, barely more than a whisper. She looked looked at him, her eyes wide as though she was a deer caught in headlights. With a small whimper she leaned up against the counter, eyes closed and shaking. "Sango!" Miroku rushed forwards, gathering her into his arms. "What is it?" He asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's nothing," She said, trying to push him away.

"Don't lie to me," He commanded. "There's no point. I know you well enough to know you're upset."

She sighed and leaned into his chest. She remembered that they were together now. So she let it out. "Something happened to Ayame last night. Something bad. And I can't do anything to fix it and it's just... frustrating."

Miroku pulled back a looked at her. "What happened to her?" His voice was laced with concerned.

"She..." Sango averted her gaze. "I don't think I should be telling you this. It's really personal."

"Damnit, Sango! If something happened to her, I want to know about it." He kept his voice hushed enough so that no one would hear. He sighed at Sango's suspicious look. "I mean that I concider her a friend now. And Kouga obviously has feelings for her. I want to know if somethings happened to her."

"She hooked up with someone at the party." Sango told him, her voice quiet. "She was drunk, really drunk and she hooked up with... with... Damnit!" She clenched her eyes shut in shame. "I should have kept a closer eye on her!"

"It's not your fault Sango," He pulled her back to him, comfortingly stroking her hair. "Who did she hook up with?" He asked patiently.

"Riku," She said, her voice barely audible.

"Excuse me?" He hoped he's heard wrong.

"Riku!"

---

Kagome growled at the silver haired man in front of her. How dare he? How dare he suggest that they just forget it ever happened! He looked so embarassed about it too. It just added to all the anger and frustration built up inside her.

"I... I just think," He stumbled, never quite looking her in the eye. "That it'd make things more comfortable between us, you know? We can still hang out and there wouldn't be any tension and we would just be friends."

She snapped, whirling around to face him. "Maybe I don't want to forget about it Inuyasha!" She yelled, her eyes burning with fury. "And maybe I don't want to be just friends!"

"What?" He blinked, taken aback by the outburst. He'd expected that she'd be embarassed and eager to forget about the kisses they'd shared the night before. The look in her eyes now had his mouth dry and sweat rolling down his cheek. "I... I thought-"

"You thought WRONG!" She said angrily. "God! How could you be so dense!"

"What are you talking about?" He asked, shrinking back.

"I LIKE YOU, Inuyasha!" She yelled. "I have for months! Everyone else knows! And I haven't exactly been hiding it from you either!"

"Bu... you... I... What?" He studdered, unable to grasp onto a slid thought.

She let out an exaspirated growl. "You are such an idiot!" She said behind clenched teeth. "I don't want to be just friends Inuyasha. I want to be with you. In a relationship. You get it?"

"You... want to be... with me?" He looked at her as if she's grown antlers or something.

"Come on, Yash, It's not that hard of a theory to grasp here." She said, rubbing her temples in frustration.

"I..." He gulped, his throught suddenly dry as a rock. "I w-want to be with you too." His face was such a deep shade of red, it was nearly laughable.

Kagome blinked. "You do?"

"Yeah," He cleared his throat. "The truth is, I've liked you for a while now too. I just didn't think you were interested is all."

The two of them stood there just looking at each other for a minute, completely silent. "So I guess that makes us a couple then..." Kagome said, then smiled and took his hand.

"Yeah..." Inuyasha smirked as he looked down at her face. The two of them headed back through the back door just in time to hear Sango yell.

"Riku!"

---

"Riku!"

Kouga and Rin looked towards the entrance to the kitchen/dining room. "What was that about?" Kouga asked, his expression puzzled.

Rin looked at him nervously. Why, she asked herself, did she have to be the one stuck with him when it came up? How was she supposed to tell him what happened. It was more that obvious that he liked Ayame. He'd either be crushed, or he'd do something along the lines of what Sango had suggested earlier. "Uhm..." She started.

A creaking on the stairs had everyone in the house shut up and look. There was Ayame, making her way robotically down the steps. Her hair was down for a change. She was dressed in sweats and a tank top, her face blank. She walked into the living room taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch from Rin and stared blankly at the ground. Sango, Miroku, Kagome and Inuyasha all made their way into the living room as well.

The girls and Miroku looked at Ayame uneasily, none of them speaking, while Kouga and Inuyasha shot eachother quizzical looks.

"What's going on?" Kouga asked finally.

Before anyone could answer though, a knock came from the front door. "I'll get it," Kagome said, turning and heading for the front hall. As she disapeared from the room, the knock turned into a viscous pounding. Whoever it was was getting impatient.

Nervous now, Kagome slowly started to open the door. She didn't get it halfway before it was pushed open and she nearly fainted.

"Where is she?" Riku yelled as he brushed by her, storming into the closest room, which happened to be the living room. Catching sight of Ayame he started for her. Sango and Ein instantly jumped up, trying to block the way while the others stood (or sat) there in shock.

"You leave her alone!" Sango yelled, but was easily pushed aside, as was Rin.

"Hey!" Miroku yelled, steading Sango, and glaring at the man.

"Why did you leave?" Riku questioned, glaring at Ayame who was simply sitting there, staring at the floor with increased concentration. "You said you would stay and wait for me to get back!" He yelled, reaching for her arm.

Kouga jumped up, pushing Riku back away from her. "Hey!" He yelled, taking up a defensive position in front of her. "What the hell are you talking about."

Riku shot him a cool and uninterested look. "Me and Ayame are back together now. So get the hell out of my way."

Kouga stiffened. "You're lieing."

Riku smirked coyly at him, cocking his head to the side lazily. "If I'm lieing then why is it that she spent last night with me?"

Kouga slowly turned to the redhead behind him. His eyes wide and unbelieving. "It's not true." He half asked her. But she sat there, that same blank look on her face. Slowly, her eyes looked up at him. He could see sadness and regret in them but she looked away, ashamed, confirming his fear. She'd given herself back to the man who'd hurt her. He clenched his fists in anger, both at Ayame and at Riku.

Riku laughed maliscously and started for Ayame again, only to be blocked by Sango yet again.

"You bastard!" She yelled, her fists ready to strike if need be. "How dare you come in here claiming that you're back with her! What happened last night had nothing to do with that! She was drunk and you took advatage of that! You should be ashamed-"

However, before she could finish her sentence, Riku was already being dragged outside by a seething Kouga. The man had taken advantage of the woman he cared for, was all that was going through Kouga's mind. And he would pay for it. The only place for a proper fight, though, was outdoors. After crossing the threshold of the house, Kouga's fist slammed into Riku's face.

Riku stumbled back, but managed to keep his balance. Witha growl, he spit out blood from his lip and readied himself for the fight. From there on out it was a flurrie of fist and feet, grunts and goans of pain. The group, who had followed them out, could only stand and watch, each of them silently cheering Kouga on. The fight had barely begun when Ayame came to her senses and rushed out.

"Stop it!" She yelled, pulling Kouga back before he could retaliate to the kick to the stomach Riku had delivered.

Kouga grunted and turned to her. His lip was bloody and a black eye was already forming. "How can you be defending him? After what he did to you!"

Riku laughed behind him. "I told you, we're back together." He reached forwards, grabbing Ayame by the arm and hulling her towards him.

Ayame punched him in the stomach and pulled her arm out of his grasp while he recoiled. "Don't touch me you bastard!" She yelled. "I'm not defending you. I don't want to be with you, not ever again!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at him in disgust. "Leave." She said. "Get out of my sight."

He looked at her and the group behind her. "Keh, you're not worth it anyways." He said and turned, limping back to his corvette which was parked across the road. When he finally pulled away, Ayame dropped to her knees and sobbed. Kouga rushed forwards, getting down on his knees to comfort her.

"No!" She screamed when he went to wrap her in an embrace. "Don't touch me!"

"Ayame-" He started.

"Go!" She yelled, looking at him, then at everyone else. "All of you just go! Leave me alone."

Kouga looked at the girls. They nodded at him, so he got up, sending one last remorseful look towards Ayame and left with Inuyasha and Miroku. When Rin saw that the men were in their house, she went to her. She got on her knees and pulled Ayame into a comforting hug. "It's ok," she said, rocking her friend like a mother would her small child. "It'll be ok, Ayame. You're safe with us."

Sango and Kagome helped Rin bring the sobbing girl into the house. They all knew, it would take some major fixing to get her back to normal. But things would work out. They had to.

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AN: Well, there ya go. The next chapter of the story. I'm sorry it sorta lost steam towards the end... or at least, I think it did. And I'm also sorry for all the errors in spelling and grammar I'm sure there are. I don't have word on the laptop yet for fixing errors. So... sorry.

I'm also sorry for the delay. I didn't end up writing while I was away. But I'm going t try and finish this before the end of summer, if at all possible. There are only 5 more chapters left now. That's including the epilogue. So... yeah.

I don't really have anything to say. I'm kinda tired. And yeah... and questions and comments will be answered if you have any, just review. I reply to every one. The next chapter will be out soon (I hope). So yeah. Toodles Everyone!

Next Chapter: Ayames Decision 


	11. Ayames Decision

AN: Ok, ok... so I WAS going to write this all the weekend after I posted the last chapter, but stuff came up... then there was more stuff, then fights with and between friends and more stuff and school and no motivation to do anything. But I do feel really bad for leaving it this long. I really wanted to get a lot of writing done over the summer and all I got was like, two chapters. I feel extra bad because I left it in the middle of this big ass plot point and you probably wanted to know what the hecks going to happen now and I went and left it for a month. 

Man, I remember a year ago, I would freak out if I went a week without updating. Of course, I'd like to think my writing has improved some from one year ago. I'd like to think I've improved a lot, but I doubt that. But anyways, the point is, I'm really REALLY uber sorry I left it like that. I feel really bad.

I should inform everyone that I've gone of some weird, quazi hiatus for the time being. It doesn't mean I won't be updating, I just thought I should make it official that my updates are going to be spurratic. And it's not that I don't want to write, because I do, I always do. I always have new ideas for stuff, that fact gets annoying after a while really, so trust me, I want to write. But I want to write when I don't have the time to, or I get distracted or have writers block. And when I have the time, the ability and no distractions, I'm too lazy to do it. I feel guilty as hell for that.

And now, school has started. This is my final year, it seems like it'll be pretty much an easy ride for me, but I want to make sure I get as good of marks as possible. I'm going to need them. The things I want to do are being laid out for me, people are telling me what I should go into for the future and I think about what I want to do and... well, lets just leave it as it's a bit of a stressful time, as I'm sure it is for most people my age. So yeah, I have to focus on school and all my possible career choices.

So yeah... thats that.

Just a quick note here, this chapter won't be very long. Not because I have writers block. It was meant to be short. Sorry.

To everyone who wants Riku's head: -tosses voodoo Riku doll into the air- FREE FOR ALL!

Review Responses!

Beautiful Massacre: indeed... very much so a lot of drama... that made sense, I swear... shifty look

c-orruption: lol, when I first wrote this review, you had another different name... that just shows I really gotta wait to do these, eheh.

Shadowww15: (see little note above) he's not comin back. have a go!

skatergurl2005: heh, I'm not THAT fast at writing. I'm glad you like it. Though... I'd think if you loved it that much you'd remember it in a weeks time...Oo

jade eyed neko: yeah, she'll be fine... eventually. And again, I refer you to the note above on the Riku situation. I uber sorry for the long wait. Summer got hecktic then school. ugh

kagomes pup: lol, both very good plans, but Riku isn't going to be making any more appearances, so they won't have the opertunity.

kouga'snumba1girl: I'm really sorry for the long wait. I regret to inform you that this chapter will not make you feel any better.

Sorano101: Lol, thank you. I try not to make a boring story if at all possible. I like twist... the unexpected curveball. muahahaha! Sorry for the long wait. .

Anyways, on with the story!

--

It took hours to settle the redhead down; hours before the tears stopped flowing, before her breathing regulated and she stopped whimpering pathetically. The girls sat in the living room with her the whole time, patiently rubbing her back, bashing men, and offering kind words and ice cream and alcohol. The minutes ticked away slowly, turning into hours and before they knew it the sun was setting. The sky turned dark, overcast with dark storm clouds. There were no stars shining down on them that night.

--

With lightening crashing outside and the power long since out, Ayame leaned back against the couch, exhaustion beginning to consume her. Her eyes were puffy and red, her nose was stuffed up and still running slightly. Her mind was hazy from the small amount of alcohol in her system. She hadn't drank very much, just enough for a slight buzz. She figured it best not to get drunk again for a while... a long while. She watched the candle on the coffee table as it flickered lightly. She felt warm, a contented look etched upon her features.

Kagome, Sango and Rin were rambling, trying to keep her mind of the entire situation or just being out right mean to the male population. It felt good to know she had such good friends. They'd be on her side no matter what. They'd defend her no matter what... even if she didn't deserve to be defended or have any one on her side. Even if she didn't want it.

The truth was, she paid very little attention to them. Sure, she snickered at a few of the things that had come out of their mouths, but she had a lot on her mind. Riku and what he'd done to her... not just the night before, but through the entire time she knew him. And Kouga. How did he feel for her? How did she feel for him? Why did he have to get involved in all this? And the way he had stared at her... like she made him sick. That image was imprinted in her mind and she couldn't get it to go away.

"Ayame?" Kagome's voice came from beside her, forcing her out of her thoughts and back to the real world. She looked up at her raven haired friend, who was sitting on the couch behind her. "Are you ok?"

Ayame blinked, suddenly noticing that all eyes were on her, everything silent. "Uh... y-yeah..." She sputtered, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly. "Sorry, I was lost in thought, what were you guys saying?" She gave a nervous laugh.

"I said it's late," Kagome informed her. "We should probably go to bed soon."

Ayame looked down at her watch, seeing that it was nearing 11. Not really that late, but with the power out, there was nothing better to do than sleep. "Yeah you're probably right..." she said, slowly pushing herself up and stretching. As she did so, she noticed the cautious and concerned looks on her friends faces. Guilt stabbed at her gut harshly.

Relaxing her muscles, she looked down at her feet. "Look guys..." She started, not really knowing how to say it. "I..." She looked at them looking at her. Tears burned behind her eyes, but she didn't let it show. "I can't..." She stopped, rethinking her words.

"You can't what?" Rin asked, her big, innocent, brown eyes looking up at the red haired woman.

Ayame swallowed and continued, averting her gaze. "I have to leave."

The three women exchanged confused looks. "What do you mean, leave?" Sango asked with a questioning eyebrow raised.

"I'm going to move back home with Gramps and Shippo." She stated, the burn behind her eyes intensifying. She held up a hand to stop the protest she knew were coming. "I have to. I've messed up a lot, and all I'm doing by being here is messing up your lives too. I can't do it anymore. You guys don't deserve to have to deal with all my ... shit." A few tears escaped her as she blinked. "I j-just can't... I won't. Not anymore."

"Ayame..." Rin stepped forward, her eyes pleading, her voice gentle. "We want to help you. We want to stand by you and protect you. We want you here." Sango and Kagome both nodded in agreement.

"I know... but it's not fair of me to drag you into my mess." Ayame choked out, tears coming full force.

"Ayame please-" Kagome started, but Ayame shook her head stubbornly.

"No." She said firmly. "I won't do it anymore, I won't!" She stepped toward them, her eyes appologetic... whether she was sorry for leaving or for everything she'd done, none of them were sure. "We can still get together... and... I'll call." She reasoned. "And I'm sure Gramps and Shippo would love to see you if you guys ever wanna visit."

"But Ayame-" Kagome persisted.

"I need to get back on my feet." Ayame explained. "On my own. All by myself. I just... I just need time to do that, ok?" The three looked at each other, their expressions giving away their uncertainty. "Please? Just let me go." Ayame asked.

Shocked at how vaulnerable... how scared their friend sounded, the girls nodded sadly. They would miss her.

--

She stood before the her friends, in front of the house, her car packed with her stuff and ready behind her. A light breeze blew her hair, which she'd left down, lightly to one side. What would she say? What would they say? There was only silence and solem looks at the moment, none of them could find the right words. Finally, in a sudden burst of courage, Ayame stepped forward to Rin first.

The girls looked at eachother for a moment, before the brunette consumed her in a giant bear hug, tears staining her cheeks. "Be careful," Rin muttered as she pulled back, sniffling lightly.

"I will be," Ayame nodded with a sad smile, turning to Sango. They too embraced. Sango telling her that she was only a call away if the bastard ever showed up. She'd be there in a heart beat. She turned to Kagome, giving her a hug too. They all stood back again, just staring at each other.

"Call us when you get there." Kagome said.

Ayame nodded, and with one last sad smile, she turned back to the car, getting in. And with a wave, she pulled away, leaving the white house and her friends behind.

Kouga stepped out of the house just in time to see the packed car leave, the redhead who had haunted him for weeks now driving, tears falling down her cheeks. Confused, he turned to the neighbouring yard, only to see the girls with similar expressions. "What's going on?" He called before they could go back inside.

Sango turned to him, her face the most stoic of the three. Looking sympathetic, she answered him. "Ayame's moving back home. She just left." With a sad shrug , the woman turned and went into her house, leaving Kouga to stand there in shock.

She was moving back home...

She was ... gone?

Kouga ran to the side of the road, looking after the car, but it was gone. Slowly he backed up and headed back into the house.

---

AN: And now you all hate me. Tada!

LOL. Sorry. I know it's really short. There was supposed to be another little scene but I just decided to put that in the next chapter, because it fits better there. Anyways, the next chapters should be longer. And the big fluff action will begin. I don't know when the next update will be... but it should be good.

I'm sorry for spelling mistakes and what not... I don't have word on this computer still... I should get on that, lol.

Well, I'm tired. Night all. R & R


	12. One Month

So... it's been like a year... and this chapter isn't near as long as I though it would be, but I really wanted to get it out. Left a bit of a cliffy... though some of you may be able to guess what's to come. 

I apologise for taking so long. I've been out of touch with my writing side for a while now. I had Writers Craft first semester last year and I spent a lot of my creative energy there. I then turned my sights more on my drawing then on my writing, as I found myself a bit spent. Spent and depressed as that was my absolute favourite class in my entire high school career (I can say that since I've now graduated). Never before has there been a class with such create chemistry that we can socialise and what not and still get work done and stay on topic (for the most part). Everyone got a long and we were all open with each other and I know everyone I've talked to feels the same. It was an awesome class.

I've also lost touch with my love for Inuyasha... got a bit angry after seeing the ending of the series. That was just cruel. But yeah... that's probably the other half of why I haven't been writing this.

I'm going to skip the responses for this chapter, just because most of them are months and months old and probably have no relevance anymore. I thank any readers I still have out there for their patience and I hope you forgive me for this mainly chincy chapter... I hope to get the next one out before

Halloween... I'm taking a year off school, but I will be working. Hopefully it's possible.

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Miroku had been enjoying a pleasant morning lying in bed, thinking of his beloved Sango when the first signs of trouble began. His first clue that something was wrong was when he heard the door slam and several loud crashes coming from downstairs. The second clue he found when he went to go investigate said crashes and found a fist sized hole in the wall. His suspicions were confirmed however, when he stumbled upon Kouga in the downstairs bathroom, wrapping up his bloody knuckles while spewing out numerous curses.

"I would ask if something was wrong," Miroku stated as he leaned up against the doorframe. "But I think I already know what your answer would be." Kouga paused in his curses for a second to glare at his friend before returning to his previous actions, throwing is some colourful words about the 'stupid monk'.

Miroku sighed and sat down on the floor beside his aggravated friend. "If you keep winding that bandage so tight, you're going to cut off all the circulation to your fingers," he said, reaching out a hand. Kouga pulled his hand back and glared at the man. "Give it here, I'll do it properly, and you can tell me what happened while I do."

Reluctantly, Kouga pushed his hand forward and gave Miroku the bandages. Miroku set to work undoing the bandages, seeing that his friends fingers had already turned a sickening shade of purple, and waited for Kouga to start talking. However, when the blue-eyed man continued to sit there silently, Miroku gave him a shove and a glare.

"Alright," Kouga said finally. "Alright... The reason... The truth is... ah, fuck it. Ayame's gone," he blurted out.

Miroku paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow at his friend. "Gone? What do you mean she's 'gone'?"

"I was just outside and I saw her drive away. When I asked the girls what was going on, they told me Ayame was moving back home. By the time I got to the road, the car was gone." Kouga winced as the bandage was completely removed.

"I see," Miroku started as he began to rewrap Kouga's injured hand. "I suppose she didn't want to drag her friends any further into the mess she's made-"

"It's not her fault!" Kouga roared. "It's the idiot ex-boyfriend of hers who refuses to let go. He's despicable! Taking advantage of a girl when she's impaired. If Ayame hadn't stepped in I would have killed that bastard."

"I know, I know," Miroku said calmly. "However Miss Ayame may not see it that way. She probably blames herself for it. She probably feels guilty, not only for dragging her best friends into this mess, but us as well."

Kouga scoffed. "I'll never understand how a woman's mind works. Always blaming themselves for thing that aren't necessary."

Miroku chuckled lightly as he finished tying off the bandage. "A woman's mind is indeed one of the worlds great mysteries."

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The weeks passed slowly for Kouga, one day dragging into another. Everyone else seemed to return to the way things were before Ayame had arrived, minus the fact that now all of his roommates were in relationships and he was quite obviously alone. Being the odd man out was quite uncomfortable for him; being in the same room with everyone was next to unbearable.

It was nearing the one-month mark, since she'd left. It was strange. Never before in his life had he missed someone so much. He wondered if she was all right, If she had run into that Riku bastard again. Most of all, he wondered if she ever thought of him. He was slowly torturing himself into insanity.

He sat on the couch one Saturday afternoon, flipping through a sports magazine, attempting to focus on the articles, but failing miserable. Whenever it was

quiet or he was home alone, his thoughts always got the better of him. Throwing the magazine aside, he sighed. Brushing his hand through hair and rubbing his eyes, he looked around for any distraction.

It was pointless, his conscience told him. He was kidding himself if he thought he could just forget what she meant to him. Mind made up, he got up and headed to the front door.

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Ayame sighed as she closed and locked the front door. She kicked off her beige pumps and headed up the stairs to change into something more comfortable. She had come back from a job interview with a local shipping company. Her bilingual skills seemed to impress her interviewer greatly. It looked very promising, and it paid fairly well. If she managed to land this job, with any luck, she'd be able to rent out her own apartment. As much as she loved her grandfather and brother, she didn't want to burden them any longer.

She reached the top landing of the stairs just in time to see her grandfather hang up the phone. The old man stopped when he saw her standing there and smiled a little too wide. "Welcome home, how did your interview go," he asked far to casually.

"It went well. I think I may have landed myself the job. I should hear back from them in the next week sometime." She shot him a curious look. "Who was on the phone just now?" she asked. They didn't get calls very often, and with her grandfather's odd behaviour she couldn't help but wonder

"Oh, no one in particular. Just an old friend of mine who's going to be in town next week wondering if they could stop by for a visit," the old man grinned.

Ayame quirked an eyebrow, "old friend, eh?"

Her grandfather nodded moving past her. "Dinners ready if you'd like some. Come down when you're finished changing."

A little miffed by her grandfather's words and actions, Ayame shook her head and moved into her room to change. Meanwhile her grandfather stopped at the bottom of the stair, looking back up at where he'd come from. "You're in for one big surprise, my dear. It's time for you to let yourself move on and not hold back, you'll understand in time." With that he headed into the kitchen humming a mindless tune.

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Yeah... chincy I know. I give you all full permission to flame my ass for it.

I mostly said everything at the start of the chapter, so that's all for now. Toodles all!


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